News
1 September, 2026
Bushfire season is almost here: Are you prepared?
The 2026/27 bushfire season is just around the corner and residents of the Southern Highlands are being encouraged to make sure they are adequately prepared.
The 2026/27 bushfire season is just around the corner and residents of the Southern Highlands are being encouraged to make sure they are adequately prepared.
The bushfire season commences in most of NSW on October 1 and authorities are warning of an elevated fire danger over the summer months due to predicted above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall due to El Nino conditions.
A NSW Government spokesperson said warmer and drier-than-average conditions during autumn have left many parts of the state unusually dry, with some regions already experiencing drought.
If these conditions continue, the spokesperson said, fire activity could increase through spring and into the 2026/27 bushfire season.
CEO of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council, Rob Webb, said the latest national bushfire outlook indicated a variety of risk factors across different parts of the country – reinforcing the need for communities to understand their local conditions and to prepare early.
“While some areas are facing an elevated risk of fire this spring, bushfires can still occur in regions with a normal season outlook,” Mr Webb said.
“Communities are encouraged to stay informed, monitor local conditions and follow advice from their fire and emergency services as the season unfolds.”
Authorities are urging people to understand their risks, to prepare their homes and to make a bushfire survival plan.
Locally, the Mittagong brigade of the NSW Rural Fire Service will be holding its annual Get Ready Weekend at the Welby Community Hall on Saturday, September 12.
The event will run from 10am to 2pm and will provide residents to meet brigade members and to discuss their Bushfire Survival Plans.
There will also be activities for the kids.
Canyonleigh RFS will be holding its Get Ready Weekend the following Saturday, September 19 on the corner of Canyonleigh and Tugalong Roads between 9am and 2pm.
There will be information available on how to make a fire plan, giveaways and free sausage sandwiches.
The Southern Highlands is known to have a significant bushfire risk due to steep local topography, surrounding national parks and dry north-westerly winds.
Steep escarpments and gullies around towns like Mittagong are known to accelerate fire spread.
The statutory bushfire danger period will run through until March 31 and anyone planning to light a fire during that time will require a permit.
Permits are available online from the NSW RFS website for those people in a Rural Fire District or from the Fire and Rescue NSW website for those people in a Fire and Rescue District.
Local residents wanting real-time information on bushfires should download the Fires Near Me app or Hazards Near Me apps on their smartphones.
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