Bushfires NT declares official start of Top End fire season

Prepare your permits, cool those embers and clear up your property. Fire season has officially begun in the Top End.

THE RISK of bushfires is higher than usual in parts of the Top End, with authorities urging Territorians not to be complacent.

Bushfires NT executive director Collene Bremner declared the official start of the fire danger period for all areas north of the 17th parallel, 50km north of Elliott.

Ms Bremner said the fire season would run from June 27 to November 30.

She said during this period, permits to burn were required and people must not leave an area before thoroughly extinguishing any fire they had lit.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Joshua Fischer said compliance was crucial with increased risks of bushfires across the Top End.

“While the north-west Top End is expected to have normal bushfire potential, there could be isolated areas of elevated fire risk in the greater Darwin region,” he said.

“Very low monsoon rainfall totals were observed in the Katherine region, Gulf and Victoria River Districts and the past three months have been at or near record-dry levels, raising the risk of bushfires by more than usual in those areas.

Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Fire Officer Joshua Fischer. Picture: Floss Adams.

“Significant mitigation efforts have occurred across the Top End, with approximately 4600 hectares of land burnt throughout the greater Darwin Emergency Response Area up to mid-June, with more planned burns to occur as weather conditions allow.

The area burnt this year to date is an increase of approximately 35 per cent compared to the three year average. “Fire weather conditions will worsen through July leading into August and it’s important that rural residents have a bushfire survival plan in place.”

Mr Fischer said Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service officers had issued 260 notices to landowners who had not been compliant for maintaining firebreaks or for accumulation of flammable material.

NT Fire and Rescue Service responded to 3733 fire related incidents in last year’s fire season.

From May 1 to October 28, 2021 crews responded to 1296 grassfires, 902 vehicle crashes, 171 structure fires, 1169 automatic fire alarms, 8 domestic smoke alarms, 72 illegal burns, 87 medical assists and 28 hazmat incidents.