ADVICE - Update eight - Bushfire at Mt Clear

The ACT Rural Fire Service is working to extinguish a bushfire burning at Mt Clear near the ACT/NSW border.

The Bushfire Alert and Warning Level for this fire has been set at ADVICE.

The ACT Rural Fire Service has 39 firefighters on site. Today, firefighters extinguished burning logs and smouldering vegetation to ensure the perimeter of the fire was maintained. The fire did not break containment lines.

There was a significant gain in establishing a fire trail through the centre of the fire to allow better access for firefighters. A crew of 21 firefighters will continue to monitor the fire ground overnight with additional crews to be deployed tomorrow morning.

The fire is approximately 47 hectares in size and is contained.

A Total Fire Ban has been declared for tomorrow, Sunday, December 20, 2015. The severe fire danger rating for tomorrow means that due to the remote nature of the fire there is the potential for the fire to escape. Firefighters will be monitoring this closely.

An easterly spread of this bushfire could see the fire move across the ACT border into NSW areas between Michelago and Bredbo. The ACT Rural Fire Service has put appropriate arrangements in place with NSW Rural Fire Service should this eventuate.

The ESA advises you to monitor the situation for any changes through local ACT media outlets, the ESA website esa.act.gov.au, ESA Twitter account @ACT_ESA, ESA Facebook account @ACT Emergency Services Agency, the Fires Near Me mobile device App or by calling Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

This advice should be read in conjunction with current weather conditions. Current weather observations can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/act/observations/canberra.shtml