GRASSLAND fuel loads in the Cudgegong regions are among the highest in NSW, with firefighters worried about an increased risk of grass fires.
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It may still be winter, but NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) crews are already looking at current fire risks and aiming to mitigate them before the next bushfire danger period.
So far this year, Mudgee has had well above average rainfall at 515.0mm, which is higher than the January to July median of 350.6mm.
The rain has meant that areas in the Cudgegong zone now have the highest rating possible of grassland fuels at 5.25-6 tonnes per hectare.
This is an average reading taken across the zone.
Cudgegong RFS zone district manager Superintendent Troy Porter is worried about grass fires in the region, but said if rain continues to fall every few weeks that this would help keep the fuel moist.
"This year the grass fires are going to be a concern, it's a very difficult picture to last year when we were worried about forest fires," he said.
"The position we're in this year is certainly better than what we were in last year."
The winter rain has also meant that firefighters have so far been unable to conduct planned hazard reduction burns.
If crews do get a spell of good weather, burns will take place at Kains Flat, Bocoble and Clandulla to reduce fuel loads before the bushfire danger period.
The RFS released a video on Monday highlighting just how quickly a grass fire can travel, even when the height of the grass is low.
"It doesn't have to be shoulder high to be problematic," RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd said.
"We need property owners to slash and put fire breaks in and where you can remove the hazards."
Landholders planning to burn off on their property can now notify the RFS online which helps to prevent unnecessary emergency calls.
People are encouraged to review their Bushfire Survival Plan and to remember the safest option when there's a fire is to leave the area.