New South Wales can expect a late onset to this summer’s bushfire season, according to the Rural Fire Service’s annual outlook.

Heavy rains over the past financial year led to higher regrowth and an increased risk of fast-moving grass fires, the outlook released on Wednesday states.

At the same time, the NSW emergency services minister, Jihad Dib, has warned that 2024-25’s severe flooding and cyclone events hampered efforts to meet hazard reduction targets, which were expected to be limited further by a wetter than average spring .

“With the rain, we see a lot of growth that’s … developed and, as a result of that, as soon as we get some dry hot weather, that grass will start to dry out and become quite easy for burning,” the minister said.

The RFS commissioner, Trent Curtin, who took

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