It may not have been Bush Fire Danger Period but during June and July 2023, Hunter Valley Fire Brigades have attended many fires to the north and added to that, there have been over seven fires in the Putty/Howes Valley areas, some of them escaping the properties on which they were lit.
Although the grass is short it is so dry that a fire will run across and ignite longer stubble and scrub making for a runaway fire.
Two were simple cooking fires in the open which escaped and burnt extensive areas, Putty Brigade extinguished one, the owner the other.
Two were purposely lit. One had containment lines which did not hold. Two Putty Trucks attended. The owner of the second fire had no containment lines in place and thought that the coldness of the night would put the fire out which didn’t happen. It escaped and impacted three other properties.
It took at least twenty RFS personnel with fire vehicles, a helicopter and a bull dozer to bring it under control over a three day period.
Three Howes Valley fires were also attended by several brigades, including Putty. One in particular was an agricultural burn (burning of grass and stubble) which escaped due to insufficient containment lines then turning into a bush fire.
Information about your obligations when lighting a fire and who to notify.
Putty Alerts 