Bush Fires Burn in and Around Our Shire

Bellingen Shire Council Mayor, Cr Dominic King, has praised the sustained efforts of Rural Fire Brigade Firefighters and State Emergency Services personnel who continue to battle bush fires currently burning in and around our Shire.

“These firefighters are selflessly putting the safety of our community first and they have been battling tirelessly to contain these fires in extremely challenging circumstances, both in terms of the local terrain and our prevailing weather conditions.”

“There’s also a lot going on behind the scenes to coordinate and support the firefighters, with agencies including the Red Cross, Uniting Church, Anglicare, Salvation Army, and Family Community Services all contributing towards meeting the range of challenges these bushfires present our community and their combined efforts deserve to be recognised.”

Cr King said that he had also attended a Rural Fire Brigade briefing on Monday 09th September at the Dorrigo Showgrounds Evacuation Centre where the community was briefed on the scale of the localised Bees Nest fire, predicted weather patterns and forecasts and the approach being planned for coming days.

“What I heard during the briefing was that whilst most people have a plan for what they will do during a bush fire, unfortunately not every plan will withstand the test of a bush fire and that’s why I encourage everybody to improve their existing plan or make a plan that will give your property, your family and yourself the best chance of survival should you be threatened by bush fire,” Cr King said.

“There are a couple of simple things you can do to ensure that you and you’re family are prepared if threatened by a bushfire, firstly take five minutes to make or improve your plan by logging onto https://www.myfireplan.com.au/.”

“While you’re working on your plan, you can also download the Fires Near Me App for free and check it regularly to stay up to date with your local situation, and it’s always a good idea to make sure you have a grab bag with all of your essentials packed and that your house and property is well prepared to survive a bushfire.”

“The Glenn Innes Emergency Operations Centre is also currently managing the Bees Nest Fire and our role as a support agency means we will continue to provide resources as required to ensure our community remains alert and aware of the need to have a fire plan,” Cr King said.

“The Dorrigo Showgrounds Evacuation Centre is also the onsite point of contact for a suite of government and volunteer agencies including the Red Cross, Uniting Church, Anglicare, Salvation Army, and Family Community Services and I encourage those requiring support to access their services as they are here to help.”