Forested areas of NSW that burnt during the Black Summer are at risk in the upcoming fire season, according to a state outlook.  

The Rural Fire Service outlook indicates this year’s season will start later than usual due to a wet spring, with the most severe fire activity expected in late summer and early autumn.

The expected rainfall will probably create elevated fuel loads across the state, leaving challenging conditions in which grass is dry enough to burn but soil is damp, hampering emergency vehicle access.

A wet spring would also limit opportunities for preventative burning in the state’s east.  

“Varying rainfall during 2025 – higher in the east but lower in the southern inland and far west – has resulted in uneven conditions across NSW,” RFS commissioner Trent Curtin said.

“The rainfall has led to above-normal grass growth, leading to elevated fuel loads, while the 2019-20 Black Summer fire grounds have regenerated to the point where they can again sustain fast and intense fires.”  

Risk is most elevated in parts of central and northern NSW, with drought-affected areas facing threats if spring rainfall does not come.

Authorities says they completed 5757 hazard reduction activities in the year to June, limiting risk to 165,544 properties. 

Efforts have included enhanced protection for critical infrastructure, the implementation of 18 bushfire risk management plans, work on strategic fire trails and the expansion of collaborative cultural fire management.  

State Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib has urged residents to reduce risks, emphasising this season’s “one ember can end it” theme. 

“One ember could be the thing that starts a fire, one ember, flying into your gutters,” he said.

“So I encourage you to do what you can do – trim your trees, mow your lawn, clear your home of any combustible liquid, and make sure you have a sturdy hose.”