The Riverina's fire season is expected to begin later than normal, with greater risk of grass fires once fuel loads dry out.
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The national body for fire preparation, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC), released their seasonal outlook for this fire season, predicting a late season and higher chances of grass fires.
In most flood affected areas, the record rainfall has meant more vegetation growth increasing fuel loads across the country.
In Wagga and the Riverina, the outlook is predicting a 'normal' fire season, but Rural Fire Service operations officer Bradley Stewart said they expected the risk of grass fires to be above average early next year.
"We are several weeks behind where we would normally be at this time of year," he said.
"However, the landscape will dry, and continue to dry. Early next year the risk is above normal."
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While grass fires do not have the same sustained energy as bush and forest fires, Mr Stewart said they have the capacity to burn a larger area a lot faster.
"Eighty-eight per cent of the Riverina is grasslands," he said.
"Mow your lawns, trim any overgrown trees, remove anything combustible from around your home."
Former Commissioner of NSW Fire and Rescue Greg Mullins said the increased grass fire risk is the latest potential natural disaster Australia could experience.
"Climate change just intensifies all elements of extreme weather," he said.
"Extreme weather is getting worse. We go from event to event, whether it's heatwaves, droughts, fires floods, cyclones."
The amount of severe weather events has already taken a toll on emergency services and their volunteer base, with the State Emergency Service recently calling in overseas support from Singapore and New Zealand.
Mr Mullins said one solution to declining volunteer numbers for bushfire responders is to recruit volunteers for just the summer season.
"We might look at what they do in California during fire season," the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action founder said.
"The full time services bring on contract firefighters or seasonal firefighters that backup the main force."
Despite the concerns, Mr Stewart said RFS Riverina is prepared for this summer's forecast, with 2500 volunteers across the relevant local government areas.
They also have contract helicopters on standby, with a dispatch time of 30 minutes regularly, but will be shortened to 15 minutes on days with high risk conditions.
"On any days where we see elevated fire danger, that aircraft will be dispatched immediately," Mr Stewart said.
Mr Stewart also advised all residents to download the Fires Near Me app and create a watch zone for their area, in order to be notified of nearby fires.
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