Forestry Corporation will undertake a backburn operation near Sandy Beach to contain a bushfire that has been burning in the Wedding Bells State Forest.

The bushfire was sparked when a stolen vehicle was set alight along Vardy’s Trail on Wednesday, September 6.

Fire Protection Manager – North Coast Steve Pickering said the backburn will be necessary to contain the three-hectare fire prior to the onset of high fire danger conditions.

“Forestry Corporation firefighters have been trying to put this bushfire out over the past week and it is burning in steep, inaccessible terrain,” Steve said.

“Various hotspots have been identified on the fire’s edge, which are unable to be reached by hoses.

“We have got a plan in place to conduct a large backburn over the next two days, starting on Wednesday, September 13 to contain this fire.

“There will be a long, hot summer ahead of us and at present there is no sign of rain on the horizon, so it’s best that we get in and contain this fire while the opportunity is there, otherwise we risk this fire running under hot weather.

“This backburn will see 250-hectares burnt in the state forest across what will be an eight-kilometre perimetre.

“The fire will generate a lot of smoke. It’s mild fire weather conditions this week running through until the weekend so there’s a good chance we can get ahead of the game and deal with this bushfire on our terms,” he said.

Forestry Corporation will deploy nine firefighting units and three heavy plant units to establish the backburn.

Local Rural Fire Service brigades will assist with the operation on Thursday, September 14.

Adequate firefighting resources will be on site to ensure the safe containment of fire.   

This burn has been planned to minimise any temporary effects on the local environment.

Areas of Wedding Bells State Forest covered by the fire operation will be closed to the public for safety reasons.

The public can keep up to date on the operation via the Hazards Near Me app and website.

For more information about Forestry Corporation of NSW, visit forestrycorporation.com.au