FIRE fighters from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) were this week mopping up two small bushfires which began as the result of lightning strikes in a remote section of the South East Forests National Park overnight on Sunday.

The two fires were five kilometres apart and were both less than half a hectare in size, burning quietly in the Big Jack Mountain area of the park east of Bombala.

NPWS Operations Manager, Stephen Dovey, said that the fires were in rough country and required the skills of experienced remote area fire fighters.

“We have winched two teams of fire fighters into the site using a helicopter. This allows us to attack the fires as soon as possible to ensure they are kept small before the arrival of warmer weather,” Mr Dovey said at the time of the mop up.

“In the meantime we will keep an eye out for another fire burning in the south eastern section of Wadbilliga National Park which was also started by lightning.”