People near the southern end of Lake Macquarie may notice smoke in the area this weekend.
The NSW Rural Fire Service will conduct a hazard reduction burn at Mandalong between 9am and 7pm on Saturday, but the RFS warns that smoke from the operation is likely to be visible in the area into next week.
Fire crews will burn vegetation to reduce the level of bushfire fuel lying around and help lower the potential impact of a blaze - as well as minimise the chances of one breaking out - during the hot months.
The focus of the hazard reduction burn will be 80 hectares of bushland west of Midway Road, with smoke expected to be visible from the M1 Pacific Motorway near the Mandalong interchange. The RFS is encouraging people to stay inside, close windows and monitor pets if they find themselves in smoke-affected areas.
A large contingent of RFS crews and trucks are anticipated to be in and around the area in order to keep the burn under control, a message from the Mandalong RFS team said on social media.
If weather conditions become unfavourable, the burn will be postponed.
The Hunter region is expecting temperatures in the low 30s this weekend.
The annual bushfire danger period began last Friday, for those locations that did not enter the fire season early on September 1.
The Newcastle Herald reported last week that the RFS was expecting an "average" season after a wetter-than-average winter and the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting an increased likelihood of La Nina conditions in the coming months.
