Parks and Wildlife Service bans campfires, closing tracks and campgrounds on Friday

Campfires will be banned and many walking tracks and campgrounds will be closed due to high bushfire risk, the Parks and Wildlife Service says.

BIG NO-NO: The Parks and Wildlife Service will extend its campfire ban statewide on Friday.

CAMPFIRES will be banned in parks and reserves statewide on Friday and some walking tracks and campgrounds will be closed due to high bushfire risk, the Parks and Wildlife Service says.

PWS state fire manager Paul Black said there would be closures on the East Coast in the Freycinet Peninsula area and the Mt Field alpine area would be closed due to a nearby bushfire in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

That fire, burning at Gell River near Lake Rhona, has burnt about 2500ha, Mr Black said.

Firefighting crews are on the ground and in the air and a crew was also working to locate any bushwalkers who might be in the area.

FIRE DANGER WARNING AS TEMPERATURES SOAR

Mr Black said two fires started by lightning strikes last week joined to create the Gell River fire. Initially 14 people were evacuated by helicopter.

The fire became active again on Monday afternoon in high winds and tracks have again been closed in the area.

Mr Black said the fire was burning in remote and steep terrain and was outside wet and rainforest areas.

Track and campground closures will be published on the Parks and Wildlife Service’s website and Facebook page.

“We ask people also to consider where they go bushwalking on high-risk days,” Mr Black said.

He said it was important people complied with campfire restrictions.

“The risk of fire escapes from poorly constructed, unattended or abandoned campfires is extremely high this week,” he said.