DAMS have run dry and a lack of water poses a serious threat as bush fire season begins.
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With limited water supply to even feed stock, farmers will struggle to supply the dam water they have left to the NSW Rural Fire Service to fight fires.
Loomberah farmer Kevin Tongue estimated 60 to 70 per cent of dams in the area are empty.
"If your stock are relying on dam water, farmers would be very reluctant to let the RFS take water from stock and domestic dams," Mr Tongue said.
"It could be a real problem as to where we get the water from."
At least 98 per cent of the state has been drought-declared and as a result the NSW fire authorities have instated the bush fire danger season early.
After a fire, stock can drink double what they normally would during a heatwave, according to NSW Local Land Services.
If a significant amount of a landowner's water has been used to fight fires, it could leave them high and dry, Mr Tongue said.
"The council allow you to take x amount of water out of refill stations but you cannot cart water to stock in large numbers," he said.
"You can cart feed but you cannot cart water."
With limited water in rivers to fight bush fires, RFS volunteers will have to revert to more traditional methods like dry firefighting.
It means that instead of tackling the flames head-on in the scrub, firefighters will have to let bush fires burn until they hit open spaces in some areas, Tamworth RFS superintendent Allyn Purkiss said.
"We have to rethink the way we do things," he said.
"To cut a fire off in the scrub you need a lot of water, we don't have that water so we may have to fall back another kilometre and burn out another 500 hectares of scrub unfortunately.
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"With the lack of water we have to use the terrain to the best of our advantage and that might mean we have to burn out a little more country."
NSW RFS have encouraged landowners to get on top of their bush fire survival plan early, to start clearing land around their assets and establish fire breaks.
The bush fire danger period has been pushed forward two months early for Armidale, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
