Today’s issue carries two related stories.

The first is our coverage of yesterday’s fire, which blocked the highway and threatened homes.

The second concerns the risk of fires spreading from the South Coast’s many forests into villages and settlements.

Firefighters, as ever, did a sterling job yesterday in big winds.

Many of them are volunteers and deserve our thanks.

However, as the big winds came up yesterday, so did fears regarding the amount of debris visible in our State Forests.

The problem is particularly evident at the moment adjacent to the Princes Highway, north of the Mount Agony Road turn-off, north of Batemans Bay.

For several weeks many residents have been concerned at the debris left after recent logging activities.

Branches have been left piled on the forest floor, presenting an obvious fire hazard in the event of a bushfire.

Residents in those smaller communities and bushland properties adjacent to these areas would be upset if any neighbour left such a hazard at any time of the year, let alone in the official fire season.

Forests NSW was unable to give the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner comment on this issue in time for this edition.

Given the time of year, it may have been better for this coupe not to have been logged until the results could be safely dealt with.

Our forests look remote, but as anyone who has been close to a bad bushfire knows, trouble can move very quickly.

The Eurobodalla has got off very lightly so far this season.

We have experienced nothing like the severe and harsh conditions experienced on the South Coast of Western Australia.

We have had enough rain to turn many areas green, but, as firefighters repeatedly warn us, it only takes a few hot winds and days of high temperatures to lose that advantage.

It is not only forested areas or those adjacent to them that are at risk.

The Western Australian fires occurred in open wheat and farming land.

Yesterday’s Turlinjah fire swept through grassland.

All precautions should now be taken.