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Hot, windy, dry weather and the possibility of deliberately lit fires make bushfire management a priority for Council. Willoughby City Council employs a full-time Hazard Reduction Team to reduce the risk of devastating bushfires in the 300 hectares of bushland it is responsible for. The team is nationally accredited to carry out burns by the Rural Fire Service.
Hazard reduction is about minimising the damage a bushfire could cause by reducing or removing fuel sources before it starts. It also involves creating space for people to work in the event of a fire. These goals may be achieved through hand-clearing (such as raking leaves, clearing out gutters), mechanical clearing (mowing, slashing) and burning. You can carry out certain types of hazard reduction yourself.
In the event of a bushfire or other disaster please contact the local fire brigade (9901 2420) or the local police (9414 8499) for district evacuation plans. These groups are the responsible bodies in these times and they hold the secure information for your local area. If you are disabled or elderly or unsure about staying, please evacuate early. Do not try to evacuate too late.
Burning is not necessarily the best way to reduce the risk of fire to your home - your own hand-cleaning of leaves is safer and very effective – but in some circumstances burning is appropriate. It requires equipment and protection measures and should only be carried out by those with qualifications and permission.
Each year the bushfire hazard map, 
Bushfire Prone Land Map - 737 KB, bushland fire history maps, and plans for hazard reduction are produced and updated. Council also submits a Fire Fuel Reduction Works Plan to the local Bushfire Management Committee. However due to the importance of weather conditions the timing of burns cannot be guaranteed to any particular date. Check the NSW Rural Fire Service to see the current fire danger and fire ban map.
To reduce the risk of bushfire, Council conducts several kinds of burns throughout the year:
Broad area/hazard reduction burns – These burns are carried out to minimise the chances of loss and damage to property and to create fuel breaks and fire suppression access tracks. These burns usually cover larger areas and are conducted with the assistance of the New South Wales Fire Brigades (NSWFB). Willoughby City Council’s Hazard Reduction Team prepares one of these sites annually and burn one annually.
Ecological burns - These help to increase biodiversity and species of plants. A lack of fire in bushland can lead to a decline in the health and biodiversity of plant and animal species in reserves. Council has found that through stimulating an area with fire it becomes vibrant and dynamic with a diverse array of plants and animals.
Pile burns – Fuel such as noxious weed and dead plants and placed into piles and burned when conditions are suitable.
Strip burns – These are conducted behind residential properties to create fuel breaks. They can be carried out all year round in appropriate weather conditions.
Obviously Council can’t remove all possible sources of fuel – there would be no bush left! But the amount can be reduced so that fires generate less heat, travel slower, have a lower flame height, and be less likely to produce embers.
Please remember that for your own safety you should not clear vegetation for firebreaks in Council reserves. It is illegal for anyone other than qualified personal to carry out work on Council land.