Firefighters are preparing for an increased risk of bushfires in the coming months as relatively wet consecutive summers in the Hunter region set the stage for dry conditions with higher-than-usual fuel loads.
Three years of La Nina in NSW has meant little bushfire activity in the Hunter since 2019, but the Bureau of Meteorology says El Nino conditions could be on the way - modelling has predicted a 70 per cent chance of it taking hold this year.
