Blue Mountains cafe owner says tourists are safe

Blue Mountains business owners and leaders say the area is still open for business despite a contained bushfire that gutted one Katoomba home and damaged another.

Photo: RFS crew on the ground at a bushfire at Katoomba watch as a helicopter prepares another water bombing run on November 1, 2014. (Rural Fire Service)

More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze over the weekend which is believed to have been deliberately lit.

Owner of Katoomba Falls Kiosk, Robert Hartnett, said that while the fire was still burning in Katoomba it is not dangerous for tourists to visit the area.

"We're hoping that the public realises that the Blue Mountains is a massive area with beautiful views everywhere and the businesses need you," Mr Hartnett told 702 ABC Sydney.

"It's very clear here; we have no smoke; we've got tourists wandering around and lots of the bush tracks are still open," he said.

The business owner said last year's bushfires, which destroyed 200 homes, dramatically affected tourist numbers.

"We personally lost about 50 to 55 per cent of our business in the first three or four days," he said.

"It's taken up until now for that to start to come back."

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said the fire is in a very specific location.

"It is not the case that the fire has spread into the Blue Mountains generally.

"It is absolutely the case that our key attractions remain open and this fire will be brought under control," said Cr Greenhill.

Cr Greenhill is urging the Sydney population to consider the Blue Mountains as a tourist destination no matter what time of year.

"After last year's fires we lost hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars from our local economy from people mistakenly thinking the Blue Mountains was blackened and dangerous and that wasn't the case then and it's not the case now," he said.

"If people want to support our community then think of us as you plan your holidays."

New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says while Sydney is currently experiencing cooler conditions the temperature is expected to warm up again later in the week.

"What people need to do is just be vigilant," said Mr Fitzsimmons.

"Stay alert; stay tuned into Local Radio; watch our website; if the conditions change we'll seek to advise everybody," he said.

The RFS is currently working on 70 bushfires across the state, 20 of which are not contained but are not threatening communities.

Source : ABC News  Bredan King October 3rd, 2014