With caravan park prices commonly rising steeply during the Easter holiday period, and sites often being hard to get, many grey nomads look to head out to state forests at this time of the year,
However, these areas can be prone to bushfires, and visitors are being warned to be careful and follow all local guidelines.
In New South Wales, for example, the Forestry Corporation says a ban on campfires and barbecues that use solid fuels will remain in place in State forests in the state’s Central West over the Easter school holiday period.
Solid fuel fire bans are determined by a range of factors, including soil moisture and fuel moisture content, which increase the flammability of available fuels in the forests under normal conditions.
Campfires are banned in state forests in the NSW Central West over Easter. PIC: NSW Forestry Corporation
The plantation fire threat period each year sees a solid fuel fire ban introduced in the Bathurst Management Area between October and March, with extensions made when dry conditions prevail.
This year, with ongoing dry conditions posing a high fire risk, The Plantation Fire Threat Period for the Bathurst region has been extended until April 30.
This means that campfires and barbecues that use solid fuels – such as wood and charcoal – are not allowed in State forests during the school holiday period.
“While we understand visitors will be disappointed to not have campfires over the holiday period, we appreciate their support as this is an important step to protect the State’s pine plantations,” Forestry Corporation’s Fire and Stewardship Manager Tijmen Klootwijk said. “It is always great to see visitors making the most of our local state forests, although this must be balanced with the need to protect the state’s timber resources, which the timber industry relies upon to produce building and construction products.”
The Forestry Corporation said it appreciated the public’s understanding and consideration.
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It doesn’t bother us at all that we can’t have a campfire.
We rarely have one.
I’m totally opposed to camp fires, so many times camping along a river or billabong people have had firers everywhere. We don’t light firers on bare ground, it’s no good for the environment, the naturalness we seek in camp spot. When we camped we always had an up off the ground fire. Now, being a totally renewably caravan traveler we use our solar and batteries for light and cooking, if there is is a firepit near by we will use it if we want.
We are retired, not rich but have an EV and an fully electric caravan that can take us just about anywhere. October trip from home to Vic. 6000km roundtrip, cost $500 in charging stations, can you do that?