The man in Leeton was fined $2,200. Photo: Bidgee/Wikimedia Commons.
A man from Bilbul and another from Leeton have been issued heavy fines after allegedly breaching the Total Fire Ban that was issued last Wednesday (26 November).
It is alleged the man in Bilbul ignited a pile burn at 9 am on the Wednesday. He was fined $2,200 for failing to comply with a Total Fire Ban order. The man had also not applied for a fire permit during the Bush Fire Danger Period and could have faced an additional fine of up to $1,100.
In a separate incident, a Leeton man was issued an infringement notice and fined $2,200 for allegedly using an angle grinder without an exemption and without any firefighting equipment in place on a Total Fire Ban day.
“This is a timely reminder that the NSW RFS takes days of Extreme fire danger rating and Total Fire Ban extremely seriously,” an RFS spokesperson said.
On these days, fires can start quickly, spread rapidly, burn with greater intensity and become incredibly dangerous and extremely hard to control.
A Total Fire Ban means no fires are allowed in the open. They are declared to limit the potential for fires to develop and to help protect lives and property.
During a Total Fire Ban, you cannot light, maintain or use a fire in the open, or carry out any activity in the open that causes—or is likely to cause—a fire. This includes general purpose hot works such as welding, grinding, gas cutting, or any activity that may produce sparks or flames.
The NSW RFS strongly recommends reconsidering activities such as using tractors or slashing during these conditions, as they can easily ignite fires in hot, dry, and windy weather.
Fire permits are automatically suspended on days of a Total Fire Ban. They may resume once the ban is lifted, provided the permit has not expired.
“Total Fire Ban days are declared to protect our communities and firefighters from the devastating impacts of fire. We urge everyone to take these warnings seriously and comply fully with all restrictions. Non-compliance puts lives, homes, and livelihoods at risk, and enforcement action will be taken where necessary,” RFS District Manager Scott Connor said.
The NSW RFS thanks the community for their ongoing cooperation and vigilance in keeping our region safe.
