Taskforce Fire Guard will bring together fire agencies and land managers to strengthen coordination and prioritise high-risk areas over the coming months.
Operating from the NSW Rural Fire Service State Operations Centre, the taskforce will use predictive services and weather intelligence to support agencies to target efforts where they are needed most.
Participating agencies include the RFS, Fire + Rescue NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Crown Lands and Transport for NSW.
The centralised body will support existing local arrangements by coordinating resources and using technology to plan and deliver hazard reduction more efficiently across the state.
Current conditions have created a valuable window for hazard reduction activity with burns under way across multiple regions.
These activities are reducing fuel loads, helping to lower fire intensity and better protect communities ahead of future fire seasons.
Since July 1, 2025, agencies have treated 45,000 hectares across NSW, helping to protect more than 127,000 properties through a targeted focus.
RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin said agencies are dealing with higher fuel loads and increasingly narrow windows to safely carry out hazard reduction.
''This taskforce allows us to better prioritise and co-ordinate work across agencies, focusing effort where it will have the greatest operational impact,'' he said.
''Hazard reduction is one of the most effective ways to reduce bushfire risk, and we will take advantage of favourable conditions wherever possible to safely carry out this work across multiple regions.''
Fire + Rescue NSW Acting Commissioner Mick Morris his agencie’s contribution is focused on “the urban interface and structure risk, supporting our endorsed bushfire mitigation plans and safe integration with our broader emergency response”.
There may be periods during hazard reduction burns when communities experience smoke, and residents are urged to check the Hazards Near Me app to keep abreast of planned burns.
The list and map of planned burns can be found on the RFS website at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/hr or by downloading the Hazards Near Me app.
People with respiratory conditions affected by bushfire smoke are advised to activate their health management plan and seek medical advice if necessary.
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