A warm, wet winter has increased concerns for firefighters as they face an increased fuel load throughout the capital region this bushfire season.
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Australia's official bushfire season starts on Tuesday, but Queanbeyan Rural Fire Service member Tim Carroll said crews across NSW had already been tackling blazes amid dry and windy conditions.
''It doesn't take much for a fire to take hold and get away,'' he said. ''We're concerned there's a level of complacency within the community in regards to preparing for the season. We're urging the community to prepare.''
Mr Carroll said conditions were drier last year, but there were still concerns following increased grass growth due to record-breaking rainfall and a warm winter.
Crews throughout the ACT and surrounding regions had faced numerous fires over the Christmas and New Year period, leading to severe stock losses and property damage. Crews also tackled a number of major fires, including the Cobbler Road fire near Yass and the Yarrabin blaze near Cooma, which burnt through about 1400 and 1200 hectares respectively.
The Sand Hills fire off the Kings Highway burnt through almost 1400 hectares after igniting during catastrophic fire conditions on January 8, Mr Carroll said.
Mr Carroll said 1300 volunteers were preparing for the season in Queanbeyan, in addition to about 2000 firefighters and volunteers in Canberra. While community complacency was a concern across the border, ACT Rural Fire Service chief officer Andrew Stark said volunteer numbers in the territory's rural fire service had increased significantly to 550 members. ''We've probably seen another 100 people join over the past year,'' he said.
Mr Stark said firefighters were facing similar conditions to last season, when volunteers tackled blazes in the Namadgi National Park and across the region.
ACT Fire and Rescue firefighters, volunteers from the ACT Rural Fire Service, members of the ACT Rural Fire Service Parks Brigade and community fire unit volunteers are on standby for the season. Police and Emergency Services Minister Simon Corbell said two water-bombing helicopters would also be on standby for Canberra until the season ends on March 31.
As of Monday, fire danger in the ACT, Cooma and Queanbeyan regions was ranked as high.
