After months of extensive firefighting operations, the State of Emergency in the local government area has been lifted.

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Northern Rivers Zone reported that yesterday afternoon at 3pm, the Section 44 emergency declaration was revoked from the Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Tweed, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and parts of Clarence Valley and Tenterfield local government areas.

“The fires that have consumed just on 200,000 hectares are now fully contained and safe enough to hand back to the control of the relevant public land managers,” the NSW RFS reported.

“These fire grounds will continue to be patrolled until it is deemed that all fires are out which is only expected after significant rainfall.

Section 44 in the New South Wales Rural Fires Act 1997, is used by the Fire Service Commissioner to declare a localised ‘State of Emergency’ for a specific district suffering severe fire conditions that cannot be managed without drawing in extensive resources from other areas.

Once declared by the Commissioner the district has access to any and all fire-fighting personnel/equipment from across the State at no cost to the district or RFS, with the State Government footing the bill of all related Section 44 declared operations.

 “Significant praise needs to be given to the thousands of hours that have been given by the NSW Rural Fire Service Brigades, FRNSW, NPWS crews, Forestry Corp, QRFS, VIC CFA,VIC MFB, Parks and Forestry Victoria, SA CFS, SA MFB, SA Parks, SA Forestry, WA FRS, WA RFS, NZ FRS, NZ RFS, Canadian Fire Incident Management teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Yukon and Saskatchewan provinces, NSW Police, SES, VRA, Marine Rescue, Australian Army, NSW Ambulance, Local Councils and staff, heavy plant and operators, aircrew and operators and the many other community groups and services who have all come together in combating what has been unprecedented fire activity never before seen in the Northern Rivers,” the NSW RFS reported.

“For this we pass on a huge heartfelt thank you in giving up your time during the Christmas and the New Year holiday period.

“The job is still not over for our local fire fighters and staff who are currently assisting and being deployed to repay some of the assistance we have received to the communities on the NSW South Coast.”