Wednesday, September 4, 2002. Posted: 07:38:17 (AEDT)

Public urged to be ready for fire season

The Rural Fire Service in NSW is urging people to get ready early for the upcoming fire season.

Several fires have already been burning in state forests and national parks around the NSW south-east region, many of which have escaped from private property during burn-offs.

Fire permit periods have been brought in a month early in most shires around the region.

The Eurobodalla's deputy fire control officer, Angus Barnes, says the number of fires already in August and September serve as a timely reminder to people to get prepared.

Dry

Meanwhile, the south-east region has suffered one of its driest Augusts in the past 10 years.

A climatologist with the National Climate Centre, Blair Trewin, says very little rain fell in the south-east last month.

"[It has] been a very dry month and a very dry winter for a lot of the south-east region and, in fact, a lot of it has been in the lowest 10 per cent of rainfalls on record for August," he said.

"Most of the south-east region's had only 10 to 20 millimetres of rain in August. There are a few spots which are below 10...but generally it's been a very dry month."

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