Anyone lighting a fire in a Total Fire Ban area could face a fine of up to $77 000 or five years imprisonment.
With hot, dry and windy conditions persisting across much of the Territory, a number of regions today are under a Total Fire Ban alert.
During a fire ban, fire is only allowed for cooking or boiling water and then must be extinguished. Large penalties apply for lighting a fire without a permit and failing to extinguish a campfire during a fire ban.
Small fires can be used to cook and boil water – you do not need a permit. You must however:
o Clear an area of no less than 4m around your campfire
o Remove any bush or flammable material
o Make sure your campfire is supervised by an adult at all times
o Extinguish your campfire when not in use.
A permit is required to light a fire for any other purpose. This can be obtained by contacting Bushfires NT or your Volunteer Bushfire Brigade who will assess the urgency and need to burn on a total fire ban day.
Firefighters have attended a number of call-outs today where people have ignored the conditions and the warnings.
Everyone needs to know and understand the fire conditions and restrictions for their area and adhere to fire bans. The risk to not doing so is too great. Endangering lives communities and properties as well as taking vital resources away from where they are most needed to combat current fire fronts could have dire consequences.
If you’re in the any of the following areas, please re-think any plans you may have for striking a match today.
· Darwin and Adelaide River
· Gregory South-East and
· Barkly North
This includes the Darwin, Batchelor, Adelaide River and Elliott Emergency Response Areas, the Litchfield Municipality, Coomalie Shire and Kalkarindji.
Barkly Region has been downgraded to Advice level, however the situation remains serious with work continuing to mitigate the fire threat in the area.
Heavy smoke remains over Tennant Creek and the Barkly Region as the bushfire continues with back-burning and mitigation efforts ongoing in the area, however the air quality rating has improved slightly to “Poor”.
Anyone in an area of smoky conditions with respiratory illnesses or sensitive medical conditions are urged to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, and to not exercise until the air quality improves.
