FIRE conditions in some parts of the state - including Tamworth, Armidale and the Liverpool Plains - will be one step below catastrophic tomorrow, leading to an extended and expanded total fire ban.
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The forecast continues to be for hot and windy conditions, so the ban will stretch into the Greater Hunter, North Coast and Far North Coast fire areas on Friday.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has notified people in those areas they are forbidden to light fires in the open from midnight tonight.
The total fire ban today in the New England, Northern Slopes and North Western zones will go into day 2.
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Three of tomorrow's affected zones are listed as being at an extreme risk of fire - one step below the RFS rating of catastrophic.
They include the Northern Slopes, which takes in Tamworth, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell and the Liverpool Plains council areas; and the New England, which takes in Armidale, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha council areas.
Under extreme conditions, the RFS urges people whose houses come under attack from a fire to "only consider staying if you are prepared to the highest level".
The RFS says leaving early is always the safest option, however.
Liverpool Range RFS district manager Myles O'Reilly said the penalties were severe for ban-breakers and people needed to "just be responsible".
"If someone starts a fire on a total ban day, they could be facing a custodial sentence of up to seven years," he said.
"It's a very, very serious thing."
'Critical day'
Several fires are active across the region this evening, the biggest the Bees Nest blaze.
That fire in Guy Fawkes National Park, north of Ebor, has burnt about 2500ha and is being controlled.
An RFS spokesman said ground crews, heavy plant and aircraft were doing containment work "to close in the south-eastern edge of the fire as well as we can ahead of deteriorating conditions tomorrow".
"[It's] going to be a pretty critical day."
Inspector O'Reilly said that, in such times, RFS priorities were "preparation and response", including keeping other agencies, such as councils, National Parks, and Fire and Rescue NSW, in the loop.
"We'll ascertain what's available for aircraft and where they are, should we need to employ them pretty quickly."
Carolyn Millet
Based at The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth, and Namoi Valley Independent, Gunnedah. Covering general news and features on community, council, arts, business, health, education, entertainment and rural matters.
Based at The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth, and Namoi Valley Independent, Gunnedah. Covering general news and features on community, council, arts, business, health, education, entertainment and rural matters.
