With 10 wet days in February and more than twice the monthly average rainfall, the bushfire danger period officially ended last Thursday.

But a local official warned against complacency.

“Even though the weather is cooling down, there’s still the potential for fires to cause damage to life, property and the environment,” Manning Rural Fire Service superintendent Kam Baker said.

“Penalties still apply for failing to notify neighbours that you are lighting a fire and for allowing fires to escape.

The requirement for fire permits has been shelved for now, but supt. Baker said property owners still had to observe laws governing onsite burning. “The Rural Fires Act requires people to notify neighbouring land owners, fire authorities and land management authorities 24 hours prior to burning, as well as taking appropriate action to ensure containment and control of fire so it doesn’t escape and cause damage,’’ he said.

“If you’re doing hazard reduction work on your property, you might also need environmental approval. The RFS can assist property owners by providing free environmental assessment with a Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Certificate.”

Forster received 285mm of rain in February, which gets 117mm on average.

Sunday the 15th was hit with 118mm, making it the wettest February day since 1989 and the wettest day overall since October 2004.