Clarence Town Rural Fire Brigade

24/04/2026

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them

17/04/2026

It’s been another busy week for our crews, responding to a number of incidents across our area including a car fire at Allworth and bushfires at Swan Bay and Tomago 🚒🔥

We’ve also seen an increase in escaped pile burns over the past couple of weeks, with conditions much drier than many expect at this time of year.

Tomorrow, we’ll also be sending a crew to Wollombi to assist with a hazard reduction burn 🤝🔥

If you’re planning to burn off, please take a moment to think it through:
• Do you really need to burn right now?
• Is the area around your burn cleared of vegetation?
• Do you have adequate water and equipment on hand?

Before lighting up, remember:
✅ Notify your neighbours
✅ Notify the RFS at least 24 hours prior: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify
✅ Follow Dungog Council’s open burning policy: https://www.dungog.nsw.gov.au

A little preparation goes a long way in preventing unnecessary incidents.

14/04/2026

🚑 Training That Feels Real ⛑️

As part of our Community First Responder program, our volunteers regularly undertake maintenance of skills training to stay ready for anything our community throws at us.

This month’s focus was Spinal & Pelvic Trauma 🦴 — a critical area where the right care can make all the difference.

Our fantastic paramedic educators certainly put on a show for us… with a very realistic scenario set up next door at the Erringhi Hotel, Clarence Town. For a moment, we thought we were heading to a real incident! 😅

Instead, we were greeted by a couple of familiar faces ready to play patients and help us put our skills to the test.

A massive shoutout to Curtis and the team at the Erringhi Hotel for having us and delivering an Oscar-worthy performance 🎭👏 — we really appreciate your support of our brigade and the program.

07/04/2026

🔥 Burning Off After the Bush Fire Danger Period 🔥

With the Bush Fire Danger Period now finished as of midnight on 31st March, landholders may begin to undertake burning without a permit.

A key reminder for everyone planning to light up:
✅ You must notify your neighbours at least 24 hours prior
✅ You must notify the NSW RFS at least 24 hours prior via 👉 https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify
✅ Comply with the councils open burning policy

These notifications are an important part of the process and help prevent unnecessary emergency responses 🚒

It’s also important to recognise that the use of fire is a normal and necessary practice for many of our local farmers, particularly for land management and pasture regeneration 🌱🔥

That said, conditions across our area are surprisingly dry at the moment, and a number of landholders have already been caught off guard by how quickly fire can take hold.

Please take the time to:
➡️ Check the weather conditions
➡️ Ensure you have adequate resources on hand
➡️ Monitor your burns

30/03/2026

🔥 End of Bush Fire Danger Period 🔥

As of midnight on 31st March, the Bush Fire Danger Period will come to an end for our area.

From 1st April, fire permits are no longer required to light a fire 🔥

However, there are still important responsibilities to follow:
✅ You must notify your neighbours at least 24 hours prior
✅ You must notify the NSW RFS at least 24 hours prior via 👉 https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify
✅ You must continue to comply with Dungog Shire Council’s Open Burning Policy 👉 https://www.dungog.nsw.gov.au

Please remember that conditions can still change, and fires can quickly get out of control. Always check the weather and ensure you have adequate resources on hand before lighting up.🔥🚒

22/03/2026

👷‍♂️🚒 Safe Working on Roofs 🚒👷‍♀️

Over the weekend, 5 more members of our brigade successfully completed the NSW RFS Safe Working on Roofs course 👏🧑‍🚒

This important training equips our volunteers with the skills and knowledge to safely operate on roofs — something often required during storm damage operations 🌧️🏠

Working on roofs comes with significant risks ⚠️, and ensuring our members are properly trained means we can continue to protect our community safely and effectively ✅🚒

08/03/2026

🚑 Growing Our CFR Capability 🚑

This weekend two of our members began their Community First Responder (CFR) induction with NSW Ambulance. This is the first of three training sessions they will complete as part of their journey toward obtaining their Certificate II in Medical Service First Response.

From tomorrow, they’ll begin attending incidents alongside our existing 15 qualified CFR members, putting their newly learned skills into practice while gaining valuable on-road experience before returning in a couple of months for the next block of training. These members respond to medical emergencies not only within our community but also in surrounding communities.

We wish them the best as they start this important stage of their training and continue building the skills that help us support our community when it matters most. 👏🚑

If you’d like to join our team or find out more about volunteering with us, feel free to send our page a PM. 🚒

07/03/2026

03/03/2026

Tonight we headed to Dungog to train alongside our colleagues from Fire and Rescue NSW - Dungog 282 Station 🚒

The evening focused on appliance and equipment familiarisation before moving into a practical drill covering road crash rescue and fire protection. These joint sessions are a great opportunity to strengthen inter-agency cooperation and sharpen our skills together.

We were also joined by our fellow brigade members from NSW RFS Dungog Brigade, NSW RFS Flat Tops Brigade, Bendolba-Salisbury Rural Fire Brigade, Wallarobba Rural Fire Brigade and Eccleston Brigades👩‍🚒👨‍🚒

A massive thank you to Dungog FRNSW for hosting the night and for their continued support and collaboration. Looking forward to the next one!

22/02/2026

Another productive week for our volunteers 👩‍🚒🚒🔥

In addition to attending incidents in and around our community 🚨, our members have been busy across training and prevention activities.

Last Sunday, two of our members completed their Firefighter assessments ✅ and will soon move on to their CFR induction 🚑 — a fantastic achievement and an important milestone in their training journey 👏🎉

On Monday, we joined Vacy and Paterson Brigades for a combined structure and vehicle fire drill 🚒🔥🚗, continuing to strengthen our broad range of operational skills while working alongside our neighbouring brigades 🤝

Tuesday saw our crews back out in the community continuing hydrant inspections 💧🟡, ensuring they’re clear of debris, correctly marked, and ready for use when required.

Yesterday, one of our appliances attended a hazard reduction at Stanford Merthyr 🔥🌳, assisting with reducing fuel loads and helping protect our communities 🏡

16/02/2026

13/02/2026

Over the last few weeks, our volunteers have been out across Clarence Town inspecting and remarking hydrants — with 50 of the town’s 155+ hydrants already checked off ✅

You’ll continue to see us out and about over the coming weeks as we work through the rest.

Once we’ve cleaned and remarked them, you can help too 👇
Please keep hydrants clear of grass, dirt and debris — especially the lid — so they’re easy to access in an emergency.

We’ve also had a few questions about the road markings, particularly the reflective markers. In NSW, blue reflectors are used to identify hydrants, so those blue solar kerb lights can sometimes cause confusion.

If you’d like to learn more about the standard road markings, check it out here:
https://standards.transport.nsw.gov.au/_entity/annotation/3057160f-9b39-ed11-9db1-000d3ae011f9

Thanks for helping us keep Clarence Town safer 🚒💧