Fuel loads are as high as they were before the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires, farmers warn, as firefighters prepare for a severe season.
NSW cattle farmer David Duff said he had neighbours with grass "as high as the fence".
"It's a dangerous situation at the moment," Mr Duff told AAP.
He said not enough hazard reduction burns had been done to reduce fuel loads on the NSW Mid-North Coast.
"There was plenty of opportunity in the last four months, but very little has been done," Mr Duff said.
"You either burn it or you will get burnt."
The NSW Rural Fire Service said only about 24 per cent of planned hazard reduction burns had been done across the state during 2022/23 because of inclement weather.
"The number one factor for that not going ahead was the weather conditions, the rain, the flooding, that's meant the crews weren't able to get out and do that important work in communities," RFS spokesman Greg Allan told AAP.
During the 2018/19 financial year, the RFS completed 76 per cent of planned hazard reduction works before the Black Summer bushfires devastated NSW, burning seven per cent of the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared an alert for an El Nino weather event, which increases the risk of drought, heatwaves and bushfires.
Six local government areas in NSW entered a bushfire danger period on Tuesday, which means landholders require permits before they can burn off.
The state government last month pledged an extra $10 million for 100 more RFS crew to speed up the "critical work" before summer.
RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said the return of dry, windy conditions meant teams were needed for hazard reduction burns at "every opportunity".
“There is plenty more to be done, and this boost in mitigation personnel will enable even more vital work to be undertaken," Mr Rogers said at the time.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib has conceded a "significant backlog in hazard reduction burns" statewide.
“It is important to plan ahead and come up with a proactive approach to maximise our narrow window for hazard reduction, as a result of unfavourable weather conditions," he said.
