Staying safe and protecting your property
Bushfire is a fact of life in NSW. Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) works with government and community groups to manage fire on parks and reserves, but we can all help to reduce bushfire risk and minimise the dangers to life and property.
If you live in a bushfire-prone area, make sure you prepare for the fire season by recognising fire risk situations and protecting your family and property.
Humans are directly or indirectly responsible for igniting far more fires than would occur in nature. Weather conditions can play a key role in the behaviour of fire and the likelihood of fire starting, so the NSW Government uses a system of fire danger ratings to alert the community to the level of risk on any given day. Find out what the fire danger ratings mean.
When the risk fire starting is high, or when conditions mean fires will be difficult to manage, the Rural Fire Service can declare a total fire ban. OEH also uses park fire bans to limit the use of fire in bushland settings. Find out why total fire bans and park fire bans are imposed, and see what you can and can't do when there's a fire ban on.
You can also find out what to do and who to contact when caring for native wildlife after a fire.
Page last updated: 07 December 2015