Send us Fan Mail A single bad habit can light the match, and a single missed update can trap a group on the wrong side of a closure. We sit down with Catherine from NSW RFS, joined by Oliver, to translate bushfire information into practical decisions for outdoor education, adventure tourism, camps, and guiding across New South Wales and the ACT. We start with the current spring seasonal outlook, what early fire activity is telling us, and why a “normal” season can still create serious risk when rain-driven grass growth cures fast in warm, dry weather. From there, we get into operator-ready preparation: stress testing your bushfire plan before peak season, making sure new staff know where to find it, and setting clear go or no-go trigger points that match group age, size, transport, and remoteness. We talk about access for fire appliances, the real-world consequences of parking near gates, and how to plan around black spots with backup comms like radio, check-ins, and other redundancies when networks fail. We also break down the tools that keep you informed, including the Hazards Near Me app, the RFS website, alerts and warnings, major fire updates, and how hazard reduction burns appear on the map. Then we connect the dots between fire danger ratings, total fire bans, ember attack, and the small field habits that prevent accidental ignitions such as securing trailer chains and not parking over long grass. If you work across multiple land managers with different closure triggers, you will hear language you can use to build smarter escalation pathways and safer briefings. If this helps your team, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more outdoor leaders can find it before the next bad fire day. Support the show To stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube Channel Our members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.
