Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher has defended the timing of recent hazard reduction burns in Sydney’s greater west following Tuesday’s bushfire emergency in the region.
“This winter has presented an excellent opportunity, it being so dry, for the firefighters to do that hazard reduction work,” Mr Gallacher told ABC television.
His comments came after bushfires swept Sydney’s west on Tuesday and more than 63 fires burned across the state.
A home was lost at Marsden Park, in Sydney’s west, and a shed was destroyed near Castlereagh, where a fire raged through about 60 hectares of dry bush.
The RFS hasn’t ruled out that the fires were deliberately lit or were the result of backburning.
But Mr Gallacher said recent backburning was needed because over “the last couple of years we’ve had really wet winters and of course the amount of fuel has built up”.
He said that meant firefighters needed to “double the efforts” on hazard reduction.
Mr Gallacher said the cause of the fire at Winmalee would become more apparent during the investigation.
“Obviously it’s important for the community to know that there is police involvement in these investigations to see if it was arson,” he added.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has now scaled back all fire alerts and there are no longer any emergency warnings.
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