Heat wave triggers total fire ban in New South Wales
November 15, 2009 (AAP) – A total fire ban has been declared for much of NSW as the state prepares itself for temperatures of up to 40C on Monday. Temperatures of 39C have been forecast for western Sydney, while Broken Hill in the state’s far west will endure a blistering 41C day. … The ban has been declared the same day that NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan unveiled the first of the state’s new bushfire warning signs at Bangor in southern Sydney. The 470 signs, which include a new national danger rating levels of “severe”, “extreme” and “catastrophic”, will be set up across NSW over the next few weeks. “They clearly and simply alert people living in or travelling through bushfire-prone areas to the level of danger,” Mr Whan told reporters. “If people know the level of danger they are potentially facing, they can take appropriate action to ‘Prepare. Act. Survive’ including deciding whether they will stay to defend their property or leave early. …
