Campfires and barbecues using wood, charcoal or other solid fuels will be banned in State forests in the Riverina and western plains from 1 October 2019 to reduce the risk of bushfires.

Forestry Corporation of NSW's District Manager Andrew McCurdy said campers and picnickers should plan to bring and use gas stoves until further notice.

“If you are planning to camp or picnic in a State forest in the Riverina, Western Plains, North Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central West Tablelands or South Coast over the school holidays or long weekend, please be aware that you will not be able to light a campfire and plan to bring gas appliances for all your cooking,” Mr McCurdy said.

“All fires using solid fuels such as wood or charcoal have been banned in State forests in the North Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central West Tablelands and South Coast since 1 September due to extremely dry conditions and the solid fuel fire ban is now being extended to forests of the Riverina and western plains.

“This ban applies every day, not just on days when total fire bans are declared, so we are asking people who are planning to camp in the forests over the coming holidays to plan ahead and bring gas appliances.

“Visitors should also be prepared for days when total fire bans are declared by the Rural Fire Service, as all fires including gas fires are prohibited on total fire ban days. We encourage forest visitors to always get the latest information on total fire bans from the Rural Fire Service website.

“State forests are popular with campers and visitors year-round and while we encourage people to get out into our forests and enjoy them, we do need to act to reduce the bushfire risk during the high fire danger period.

“Escaped campfires are a significant risk and can quickly turn into wildfires so solid fuel fire bans are an important tool we use each year to limit the risk of destructive fires.”

Failure to comply with the Solid Fuel Fire Ban carries a maximum penalty of $2200.

If in doubt about fire bans in your area, contact your local forestry office.

In the event of a fire or other emergency, contact 000.

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