IAG has urged NSW residents to be ready as this year’s bushfire season takes shape.

Several areas have already had total fire ban days, and significant blazes have occurred in the past two weeks.

The insurer recommends fire-prevention measures around homes such as clearing gutters, pruning shrubs and trees, and keeping flammable materials away from properties.  

And claims EGM Luke Gallagher has encouraged people to attend an Australian Red Cross EmergencyRedi workshop – hosted with IAG’s NRMA Insurance – to learn about risks.  

“Bushfires can happen at any time, so it’s important for Australians to stay alert, particularly during warmer weather and when travelling to areas where you are unfamiliar with the bushfire risks,” he said. 

Property owners can also complete the Resilient Building Council’s bushfire home self-assessment to identify ways to improve protection and to review insurance coverage.

IAG meteorologist and senior weather risk analyst Kathryn Turner says the threat is escalating “at a very fast pace, as climate change drives hotter, drier and more fire-prone conditions.  

“Bushfire season in southern Australia officially runs from October through March and the risk of bushfire becomes significantly higher after prolonged periods of low rainfall and increased heat, which increases fuel availability as vegetation dries out.  

“On individual days, when these conditions are already in play, the danger escalates further if the atmosphere is very dry, and strong, gusty winds develop; these are often associated with summer cold fronts.”