OUR region will experience more big fires as conditions worsen, but outside help will be scarce while other parts of the state have their own emergencies. Inverell Rural Fire Service superintendent Terry Kitching said new section 44 fires, where outside resources were called on, were being declared regularly and RFS resources were stretched.

And we were in more danger than ever with summer on its way and the drought expected to last until next March.

Mr Kitching said the Kings Plains or 'Rockwood' fire last month had drawn on RFS volunteers and equipment from several other places including the Blue Mountains and Pittwater.

"But there were only fires in the north of the state when that happened,” he said.

"Now they're all over the state, and that means those resources won't be as able to come and assist us.”

In the last week alone, fires in Shoalhaven, Cessnock and Maitland had been declared section 44 fires under the Rural Fire Services Act.

And Mr Kitching said local conditions were ripe for more blazes – high temperatures, very low humidity, variable winds and little rain.

"I mean, we're not even in summer yet for another 10 days or so, and that's the frightening thing,” he said.

"It's a very, very strange season.

"I've never experienced anything like it, and I've been in this system for nearly 30 years.”

Mr Kitching said in the last week the RFS had been called to two new fires despite the recent rain.

The first was a grassfire just south of Delungra, which happened on Friday of last week after Thursday's rains.

"Delungra had about 45 mls of rain and the following day we had a running grass fire in the same area, so even with 45 mls the grass still burnt and the fire had to be chased.”

The other fire happened on Tuesday afternoon, and it was caused by a flat tyre rim creating sparks on the road.

"That burnt out 20 ha of ground at Graman, so that's how dry things are,” Mr Kitching said.

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© 2002 Inverell Times

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