Sydney is choked by smoke as firefighters burn off huge areas to the city’s northwest
17 April 2021
Published by https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
AUSTRALIA – The Sydney skyline has been obscured by a thick smoke haze on Saturday evening as firefighters conducted controlled burning to the city’s northwest.
Favourable conditions throughout the day allowed planned hazard reduction work to be carried out by Rural Fire Service firefighters.
Controlled burns in the Hills district caused the haze in Sydney’s northwest to drift over the CBD by sunset – bringing with it a strong smell of smoke hanging over the city and sparking a flurry of comments on social media.
Sydney was covered in a blanket of smoke of Saturday evening as firefighters conducted controlled burning to the northwest of the city (pictured: the Sydney skyline on Saturday)
The spectacular sunset caused by the smoke haze over Sydney caused a flurry of comments on social media (pictured: Sydney on Saturday)
‘Definitely having Sydney smoke flashbacks,’ one person said, referring to Australia’s 2019-20 bushfire season.
‘I remember not being able to see anything out of my windows last year,’ another agreed.
‘The skyline looks stunning,’ added a third.
The 2019-20 Australian bushfires were among the largest ever recorded in the country – with millions of hectares alight along the length of the east coast and a smoky haze hanging over Sydney for several weeks.
The RFS had two large hazard reduction burns scheduled for Saturday on Marieba Road in the Hills district – one for 49.72 hectares and another for 28.17 hectares.
RFS firefighters conducted controlled hazard reduction backburning of about 80 hectares of land to the northwest of the city
Various state firefighting authorities will notify when hazard reduction burn-offs are planned for your area – with NSW residents able to check theirs via the RFS website.
If burn-offs are scheduled nearby, the RFS recommends locals take preventative steps especially if any member of the household suffers from conditions such as asthma.
These include to ensure windows are doors are shut and to cover outdoor furniture and remove items from clotheslines to prevent embers igniting.
Locals also noticed a strong smell of smoke hanging over the city as the haze drifted over in the afternoon
The smoke from Saturday’s hazard reduction measures drifted over the city around sunset on Saturday (pictured: the Sydney CBD skyline viewed from the south on Saturday evening)
