IT WAS the hottest day of the month on Monday, but the Tamworth City Rural Fire Service (RFS) was playing it cool for now.
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Recent rains have given the local service a slight reprieve, but more concerning times could be just over the horizon without more rainfall.
The start of the week brought total fire bans across much of the region, but recent conditions have played largely into Tamworth’s favour.
“The past few weeks have been relatively good with the recent rainfall,” Tamworth City brigade captain Phil Hobbs said.
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“Prior to that, we had about three weeks of very active fire behaviour with three or four large fires through the district in that four weeks.
“That cabin crew, by the end of that four weeks, they were very stretched.”
Captain Hobbs has about 17 years worth of experience under his belt volunteering with the Tamworth RFS and he said the 2017 bushfire season hasn’t posed anything too concerning.
“It hasn’t been too bad this year,” he said.
“If we don’t have reasonable summer rains, I see the end of January, February being worrying months.
“Probably for the next few weeks it will be relatively okay.”
Captian Hobbs said said locals were welcome to get in touch with the station about volunteering.
“Volunteering in general is a critical part of our society,” he said.
“The country would have a lot of trouble functioning well, or as well as it does, without volunteers.”
According to the Tamworth district Superintendent, Allyn Purkiss, recent Bureau of Meteorology forecasts are predicting “more rain than normal” for the region in summer.
Temperatures are expected to drop to the mid-twenties, before ramping back up into the 30s by Friday.
Fire danger ratings for the Northern Slopes are high for Tuesday, while the North Western region is listed as very high.
The Northern Slopes region takes in Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains and Tamworth Regional councils.
The North Wetsern region includes Moree Plains, Narrabri, Walgett and Warrumbungle councils.