Communities across NSW have been warned against bushfire complacency and to make preparations as the high-risk period arrives.

Policy and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said yesterday that the NSW Rural Fire Service has started a state-wide awareness campaign that includes stories and emotive images of people at the height of the Black Summer bushfire season.

“Alarmingly, less than 7% of the state was directly impacted by the bushfires of 2019/2020, so it’s critical that everyone heeds the warning and prepares now for bushfire season, which is already upon us,” he said.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers says the campaign includes TV, radio, online and shopping centre advertisements, with a focus on areas of greatest bushfire risk.

“This ad campaign is confronting and we make no apology for that,” he said. “It is such an important message and becoming complacent now will only risk losing properties or lives during bush or grass fires.”