Hazard reduction burns blanket Sydney in thick smoke haze
With little wind across the city, the conditions are set to linger.
Sydneysiders are waking up to a thick blanket of smoke across parts of the city, with multiple suburbs choked by haze after a series of hazard reduction burns.
Residents across Sydney’s west, southwest and south reported heavy smoke overnight, prompting numerous calls to emergency crews.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sydney choked by smoke from hazard reduction burns
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The Rural Fire Service has a number of further hazard reduction burns planned across Sydney this weekend, including in Hornsby in the north, Penrith in the west and the Sutherland Shire in the south.
With little wind across the city, the thick smoke haze and smell are expected to linger throughout Saturday.
Residents in affected areas are being urged to keep windows and doors closed, and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions are advised to stay indoors where possible.
The hazard reduction burns are part of the RFS’s preparations for what is expected to be a dangerous fire season, helping reduce fuel loads ahead of the summer months.
A combination of a strong El Niño weather pattern and so-called “flash droughts” is expected to create challenging conditions, increasing the risk of bushfires across already warm and dry areas.
Originally published on 7NEWS
