The National Parks and Wildlife Service, assisted by the NSW Rural Fire Service, will be conducting a hazard reduction burn in Popran National Park on the Central Coast today, Wednesday 18 August 2021.
The 80 hectares burn near Mount White west of Woy Woy will help protect the community of Mount White, critical gas and power infrastructure, and the Pacific Highway and M1.
The low-intensity burn will also protect habitat for important threatened species, like the spotted-tail quoll, giant burrowing frog and powerful owl, from bushfires.
Smoke impact on the M1 and Pacific Highway is possible and motorists should use caution and drive to conditions.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conducts controlled burns for a range of purposes, including asset protection, strategic fire control, maintenance of biodiversity and research.
This burn is one of many hazard reduction operations undertaken by NPWS across New South Wales each year, many with assistance from the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW.
These hazard reduction burns are essential to reduce bushfire fuel loads to help protect the parks, neighbours and communities from summer bushfires.
Hazard reductions are an essential activity under the current Public Health Orders and will be conducted in a COVID-19 safe manner to ensure the safety of fire crews and the community.
COVID-19 safety briefings are provided to all staff who are required to wear masks along with their normal fire personal protective equipment. Contact tracing is also enabled via the QR code sign-in all fire crews must complete when starting.
Find more information on hazard reduction activities at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au and the RFS 'Fires Near Me' website and app.
For health information relating to smoke from bush fires and hazard reduction burning, visit the NSW Health website or the Asthma Foundation.
