Both NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Far South Coast outgoing manager Andrew Stark and NSW Fire Brigade Batemans Bay deputy captain Alan Fitches say the devastating Victorian bushfires early this year have made people more aware of the need to undertake bushfire preventative measures and be prepared.

Mr Fitches said a fire at Burrill Lake in August showed evidence the community was more prepared for bushfires in terms of property protection.

“It was good to see the people doing the bushfire property protection,” he said.

He said they were emptying gutters, clearing yards and taking other bushfire property protection measures including using sprinklers to moisten the ground.

“The Victorian bushfires have had a positive effect on people being more prepared for bushfires,” Mr Fitches said.

“I think that we see more and more evidence that members of the community are becoming more prepared for a bushfire that might occur near where they live or work,” Mr Stark said.

“But due to the nature of the forests and the geography of the South Coast, it’s something that we would like to see everybody in the community do.

“We would attribute some of the increased preparation to people observing the devastation that occurred in Victoria.

“The RFS has developed some sound advice on how people can assess their own house in relation to a threat from a bushfire.

“We urge people to access the bushfire survival metre on the RFS website www.rfs.nsw.gov.au to help them assess the bushfire danger of their own house.”

NSW Fire Brigade has distributed pamphlets to local residents with

information about how to prepare homes for bushfires.