Our Vision

To be an effective community based Emergency Service responsible for minimising the incidence and impact of fires and other emergencies to the Blue Mountains community.

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Our Mission

As a fire based Emergency Service we are committed to providing the highest level of service in a cost efficient manner to the community of the Blue Mountains and to the people of New South Wales. We are fully committed to maintaining a high standard of training, resources and community education in order to minimise the risk and threat of fire and other related emergencies to our community.

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The District

The objectives of the District are to provide for the protection of the community through effective operations, mitigation, prevention, education and training, and the development, support and promotion of Rural Fire Brigades within the Blue Mountains City District.

Further to this, the Blue Mountains Rural Fire District provides a 24 hours a day, seven days a week fire service to all residents who reside in the Blue Mountains Rural Fire District.

The Brigade members are trained to nationally recognised standards in all facets of rural fire suppression.

The District carries out extensive fire prevention works within the wider community in consultation with other agencies, such as the Blue Mountains City Council, Sydney Water and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It also is highly active in the promotion and support of public education in the area of bush fire survival and fire prevention.

Between 300 and 500 incidents are recorded per year. With approximately 150 being bushfire, Around 88 % of these fires have been less than 1000 hectares in size, with 72 % of fires less than 100 hectares.

About 9 % of wildfires have been between 1000 and 10,000 hectares in size, with 3 % over 10,000 hectares.

Most large-scale fires have occurred in November and December.

Since the 1900s sections of the City of Blue Mountains have suffered severe fires in the seasons:

Season	Area Burnt	Properties Destroyed
1915/16	Unknown	16
1926/27	Unknown	6
1936/37	Unknown	29
1944/45	Unknown	40
1951/52	100,000 ha	72
1957/58	6,000 ha	224
1968/69	125,629 ha	125
1977/78	48,576 ha	52
1979/80	66,285 ha	9
1982/83	47,960 ha	0
1993/94	53,282 ha	7

Since 1911, 580 houses have been destroyed by fire: on four occasions since 1951 a single fire has destroyed more than 50 properties - mainly houses, but including churches, a school and several shops.

Damage to urban areas has occurred on 19 blow-up days within 11 major fire seasons. Most properties destroyed were in vulnerable localities adjacent to northwest-oriented valleys. Fourteen deaths have occurred as a result of wildfires since 1945.

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Archived Material