Firefighters are using a number of dry fire fighting techniques in an attempt to dampen the threat of over 70 fires burning throughout NSW.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Unfortunately NSW Rural Fire Service deputy incident controller Julian Armstrong said all the elements are against firefighters at the moment, with drought conditions and high winds still posing a threat.
"I would say about 95 per cent of the things (firefighting techniques) that would normally work for us, aren't this time," he said.
Firefighters have employed dry firefighting techniques over many years.
They use machinery such as bulldozers, which play an important role in fire suppression and mitigation work.
The machinery is also used to establish or repair existing trails, to help firefighters with back burning operations.
For these processes Mr Armstrong said water is still required, but used minimally.
Fire suppressant retardants are also dropped from aircraft during firefighting operations, to help slow the spread of a fire.
Mr Armstrong said the retardant is coloured so firefighters can easily track where it has landed.
The fire suppressant is made from chemicals to slow the spread or intensity of a fire.
While some people have raised concerns about the health impact associated with the use of the fire suppressant, Mr Armstrong said the use of the chemical is insignificant compared to the total area of land.
He said people should be more concerned about the health impact associated with smoke from the fires.
Dry fighting techniques, Mr Armstrong said, are typically used in forest areas. Meanwhile water is used more heavily around areas where homes are threatened or near towns.
Mr Armstrong said in normal circumstances firefighters would use natural elements of the land such as creeks, gullies and dams to assist in their efforts.
However he said due to the drought, they have been unable to call on those features and it means the fires continue to dominate.
Mr Armstrong said people should not be complacent, as even once a blaze is contained the fire threat will remain.
What else is making news?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.
