While many parts of NSW will begin the annual bushfire danger period on October 1, the Rural Fire Service announced on Monday evening that some places - including Muswellbrook, Upper Hunter and Singleton - would enter the danger period today.
It comes as the agency confirmed the state's disastrous 2019-20 bushfire season sparked a rise in applications to join the RFS - about a 50 per cent increase in the Lower Hunter.
The RFS says the COVID-19 pandemic has not reduced the number of new recruits expected to be ready for the fire-ground for the upcoming season.
The early start to the bushfire danger period has been applied to 27 spots across the state so far, meaning people in those locations need to get a permit before lighting any fires.
"Increased grass growth due to recent rain could prove problematic over coming weeks and months, particularly in these areas starting their danger period," RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said.
"Land holders and firefighters have reported increased grass growth, particularly west of the divide. Once dry and cured this will bring an unwelcome threat of grass fires."
RFS Lower Hunter commander Superintendent Martin Siemsen told the Newcastle Herald there had been a spike in applications to join the region's bushfire-fighting brigades following the long and disastrous danger period experienced by many parts of the state.
Superintendent Siemsen said about 350 applications were lodged by people wanting to join the Lower Hunter team between January and May - a rise of about 50 per cent from usual.
"We definitely saw an increase in membership applications after that fire season," he said.
"We've had to train all those people, we've worked around some of the COVID restrictions through the way that we deliver training.
"It's essential training, if we don't train our new firefighters then you can't use them. We have been busy in that space making sure those new members - once they're cleared and the appropriate membership process is gone through - are trained, have got their gear and are ready to go."
In an interview with the Herald late last week, RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said there had been "a good boost" in volunteer applications across the state early this year, with a large proportion set to be ready for the upcoming fire season.
"Whilst COVID has challenged us as far as training, we've got some pretty good social distancing protocols in place where we can reduce numbers of people and still get that training done," he said.
"It's deemed to be an essential activity to get firefighters trained for the summer.
"We talk to our colleagues at NSW Health and are making sure we're doing things in such a way that Health is comfortable with and that we're still getting these people trained - but we're not obviously adding to any risk to the community of transmission."
IN THE NEWS:
