Berkeley Vale Rural Fire Brigade

28/10/2026

🎃👻 HALLOWEEN FUN AT BUNNINGS TUGGERAH! 👻🎃

Our crews are excited to be at Bunnings Tuggerah tonight for some Halloween fun! 🧡🦇

Come down, say hello and join in the spooky celebrations! 🍬🎃

📍 Bunnings Tuggerah
🗓️ Tonight – Halloween!
⏰ 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Join us in store, this Thursday 29th of October for our FREE Halloween Family Event and get ready for a spooktacular time! 👻

Bring the whole family along for an event full of fun activities, entertainment and more 🕸️
Dress up in your favourite costume and celebrate Halloween with us! 👻🧙‍♀️

Don't miss out, book your spot via the link below 👇
➡️ www.bunnings.com.au/services/in-store/diy-workshops

Check your local store for start times and more details

21/10/2026

Tonight, our crews headed up to Mangrove Mountain to participate in an area familiarisation session alongside Mangrove Mountain RFB and Somersby Rural Fire Brigade. Getting to know neighboring areas and local hazards is always an invaluable exercise!
In addition to exploring the local area, crews spent time refining their relay pumping and drafting skills, while comparing notes on how different appliances are set up across the brigades.
A big thank you to the team at Mangrove Mountain Brigade for hosting a fantastic, productive evening of joint training!

17/10/2026

🚒🔥 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 3 NEWEST FIREFIGHTERS! 🔥🚒

Today, three of our newest trainees attended the Lake Macquarie Fire Control Centre to complete their Firefighter 1 and 2 assessments.

We're pleased to announce that all three successfully passed! 👏

This is a fantastic achievement and means they're now qualified to attend incidents and help protect our local community.
A huge congratulations to all three on their hard work, dedication, and commitment throughout their training. We're proud to have you as part of Berkeley Vale Rural Fire Brigade! 👏🚒

🚒 THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERING?
Do you have some spare time, a willingness to learn, and a passion for helping your local community?
Volunteering with the NSW RFS is a great way to learn new skills, meet new people, and make a real difference in your community.
You don't need any previous firefighting experience, we'll provide the training and support you need!

🔥 Interested in joining our team?
Send the Berkeley Vale Rural Fire Brigade page a message to find out more about becoming a volunteer.
Your community needs people like you! 🚒

16/10/2026

Wednesday night, crews from Wamberal Rural Fire Brigade, Matcham Holgate Rural Fire Service, Erina Rural Fire Brigade, Ourimbah Rural Fire Brigade, NSW RFS Wyong Operational Support Brigade, Narara Rural Fire Brigade and Fire and Rescue NSW Station 460 The Entrance
teamed up for a joint training exercise focusing on The Ridgeway area.
These exercises ensure our local units are fully prepared to coordinate a rapid, effective response should fire impact the community as the warmer months approach.
During the session, our crews practiced relay pumping operations—transferring water across multiple trucks from a primary water source to maintain a consistent, high-pressure supply for firefighters on the frontline.
A massive thank you to all the participating brigades and firefighters who gave up their evening to train alongside us!
🏡 Is Your Property Ready?
As warmer weather returns, now is the time to prepare your home and property. Follow these essential steps to give firefighters a safer working area and reduce your bushfire risk:
* Trim overhanging trees and shrubs — Stops fire from easily spreading directly to your home.
* Mow grass and remove cuttings — Creates a clear, defensible space around your property.
* Remove flammable materials — Clear away items that can catch flying embers, including door mats, wood piles, mulch, dry leaves, and outdoor furniture.
* Clear gutters — Remove all debris and leaves from your gutters so burning embers cannot ignite your roof.
* Check your water and equipment — Prepare a sturdy hose (or hoses) long enough to reach all the way around your home. Ensure you have a reliable water source (such as a pool, tank, or dam) and a functioning diesel or petrol pump available.
Stay safe, and if you haven't already, review your bushfire survival plan today!

11/10/2026

This morning, our crews responded to a house fire alongside Fire + Rescue NSW crews Fire and Rescue NSW Station 505 Wyong and Fire and Rescue NSW Station 228 Berkeley Vale

Thankfully, the resident had a working smoke alarm, which alerted them to the fire and helped provide an early warning. 🚨

This is a great reminder of how important working smoke alarms are in keeping you and your family safe.

✅ Test your smoke alarms regularly. 🔋 Change smoke alarm batteries annually, where applicable. 🏠 Make sure you have working smoke alarms installed throughout your home.

A working smoke alarm can save lives. Don't wait until it's too late!

11/10/2026

🔥 EXTREME FIRE DANGER – MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 2026 🔥

The Central Coast is facing EXTREME fire danger conditions tomorrow, Monday 12 October 2026, with a TOTAL FIRE BAN in place across the Greater Sydney Region.

🚫 All fire permits are suspended for the duration of the ban.

With hot, dry, and windy conditions increasing the risk of bush fires, even a small ignition could quickly develop into a dangerous fire.

Now is the time to prepare, not when a fire is approaching.
🏡 Make sure your property is prepared and your Bush Fire Survival Plan is up to date.
🔥 Avoid activities that could accidentally start a fire.
📱 Keep an eye on local conditions and stay informed through the Hazards Near Me NSW app.

A little preparation and extra caution can make a big difference. Let's all do our part to keep our community safe.

06/10/2026

🐨 A different kind of rescue!

One of our Berkeley Vale members swapped the fire truck for his climbing gear this week, helping rescue a Koala at Forresters Beach through his work as an arborist.

After quite an effort to safely bring the koala down from the tree, the rescue was successful, and the koala is now in the care of local wildlife carers.

A great outcome and a fantastic effort by everyone involved 👏🐨

It’s great to see our members helping the community both in and out of the brigade.

https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2026/10/koala-rescued-at-forresters-beach/

01/10/2026

The official start of the fire season has already brought our crews out on the road, with the Berkeley Vale brigade responding to an early bushfire out at Somersby today. It was great to see our friends from other brigades on the fire ground, and our crew wanted to send a big shout-out to Rob from Somersby Rural Fire Brigade —his local knowledge and skills are a true asset to our community.

This incident is a timely reminder for everyone across the Central Coast that conditions demand our full attention. If you are planning on conducting any property burn-offs, please ensure you are doing so legally and safely:
* Get a Permit: Fire permits are now required during the Bush Fire Danger Period. Contact your local Fire Control Centre or brigade to secure yours—they help ensure fire is used safely and protect you, your property, and our community.
* Give Notice: You must notify both your neighbours and your local fire authority of your intent to burn at least 24 hours in advance.
* Know the Rules: Always check current conditions and local restrictions before striking a match.
Need more information?
* Visit the official NSW RFS Bush Fire Danger Period guide
* Call the Central Coast District office directly at 1300 060 807
Stay safe, stay prepared, and look out for your neighbours.

27/09/2026

🚒 A Massive Weekend for Our Crews 🚒

Where do we start!
It’s been an incredibly busy weekend for Berkeley Vale, with our crews attending 11 incidents and landowner assists across the Central Coast.

Saturday morning started with a motor vehicle accident before both our Cat 1 and Cat 7 headed to Ourimbah to assist landowners with pile burns, including working alongside Ourimbah RFB.

From there, our crew was activated to a bush fire at Mangrove Mountain before being diverted en route to a grass fire at Peats Ridge. The fire burnt approximately 9 hectares before being brought under control by our crew and other Central Coast brigades.

The work continued into Saturday night, with crews responding to further pile burns at Fountaindale and Holgate. While leaving Holgate, they were sent to a car fire on the M1 at Somersby, followed by a tree down on Yarramalong Road at Wyong Creek.

After finally getting home for some much needed rest, our members were back at it this morning, responding to another car fire at Mardi alongside Tuggerah RFB.

Across the weekend, our crews attended:
🚗 1 × Motor Vehicle Accident
🔥 2 × Car Fires
🪵 5 × Pile Burns
🌿 2 × Bush/Grass Fires
🌳 1 × Tree Down

That’s 11 jobs across one very busy weekend.
A massive effort from all our members who gave up their weekend to support the community, and a big thank you to the brigades and agencies we worked alongside. 🚒

25/09/2026

🚒 Caravan Fire – Tumbi Umbi

This evening, our crews were called to Tumbi Umbi following reports of a caravan fire.

On arrival, Bateau Bay 351 and Berkeley Vale 228 were on scene cooling a lithium battery that had ignited. Crews were also joined by Berkeley Vale 228 Hazmat and Wamberal RFB.

Once the fire was knocked down, crews removed the battery and placed it into a Hazmat container, where it will remain until it has cooled sufficiently for safe disposal.

A great combined effort by all crews involved. 🚒🔥