Firefighters from the Orana RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) attended three fires in Dubbo on Tuesday afternoon. About 15 fire engines were deployed and each fire was extinguished within a couple of hours.

Orana NSW Rural Fire Service District Officer Peter Fothergill said the fires started from camp-fires left unattended, and were all from separate ignitions. 

“They had been extinguished but not completely put out.

“The wind kicked up on Tuesday and reinvigorated the fires and they ran on next to no fuel, the fact that it’s so dry and the elevated winds pushed them along,” he said. 

One of the fires spanned seven hectres according to NSW Fire Service information. 

Firefighters described the fire as an intense situation for the first arriving crews. 

At times flames reached 25-metres-high due to the wind driving the fire into the gum trees and other fuels. 

Firefighters were able to contain the fire and the nearby house and shed were not affected. 

“This is very abnormal for this time of year, its just that we haven’t had any rain. We’ve only had about 70 millimetres for the whole of 2018,” Mr Fothergill said. 

He warned people about the risk of leaving camp-fires and hazard reduction burns without properly monitoring and extinguishing them. 

“For people out there doing pile burns, we encourage people to constantly watch them, that’s when the wind’s coming and picking up embers out of the piles and creating the grass fires. 

“Basically, if you’re going to light fires, make sure there is bare earth for about a one-metre-radius, which is a general rule of thumb, of clear earth around them make sure there is no leaf or grass matter around fire.

“When [campers] leave the fire make sure it is fully extinguished by using water and covering it with dirt.

“Even if it’s a campfire and they’re only going out for the day. Before they leave please make sure the fire is totally cold and totally extinguished.”