On Wednesday afternoon, the Rural Fire Service declared the January 17 fire ban for the Eastern Riverina and Southern Slopes fire region due to high temperatures and very high fire danger conditions.

The ban will take effect across Wagga City, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, Albury City, Coolamon Shire, Greater Hume, Junee Shire, Lockhart Shire, Hilltops and Snowy Valleys.

The RFS rules state that during a Total Fire Ban “no fire may be lit in the open and all fire permits are suspended”.

Banned fires include “incinerators and barbecues which burn solid fuel, e.g. wood, charcoal or heat beads. 

“No general purpose welding, grinding, soldering or gas cutting can be done in the open,” the rules state.

“The NSW RFS strongly recommends you reconsider activities such as such using a tractor or slashing, to help reduce the chance of a fire starting on your property.”

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast that Wagga will reach a maximum of 44 degrees on Thursday with “the chance of a thunderstorm with little or no rainfall in the afternoon and evening”.

The Bureau has forecast winds east to northeasterly 20 to 30 km/h turning north to northwesterly in the middle of the day then tending southeast to southwesterly in the late afternoon.

Cootamundra had a similar forecast but with winds northeast to southeasterly 25 to 35 km/h tending north to northwesterly in the morning then tending southeast to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h in the evening.

Riverina HIghlands RFS stated on Facebook that the Total Fire Ban would “help us to eliminate possible ignition sources on a day where controlling a bushfire will be very difficult”.