Volunteers from around the Canberra region have been deployed to assist in fighting the fires raging in Queensland and northern NSW, with more expected to leave later this week.
Rural firefighters from around the Lake George district, including Wamboin and Byong, the southern tablelands and Queanbeyan-Palerang, are already in place with 29 people now deployed and generally acting in a surge capacity for local brigades.
"Having a surge capacity is important because it means that when local brigades need to get in and attack a certain area, or protect homes in an area, they have the numbers to do so," RFS spokesman Darren Marks said.
Most of the local volunteers are on a three day, three-night rotation and many will return late this week to be replaced by others
The Lake George RFS district has around 1150 volunteers.
NSW RFS Inspector Chris Allen said that the fires in Queensland, northern NSW and locally, were an early indicator or what could be a dangerous summer ahead.
"We haven't seen a lot of rain, and the forecast is for a hot and dry summer," Inspector Allen said.
Lake George brigades already are responding to several fires a week, with a heavy tanker called to suppress a fire at Kains Cross, south of Braidwood, on Sunday.
