NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) district manager Inspector Paul Best admitted it was a significant step forward in communicating vital bush and grass fire details to the community.

"Fires Near Me NSW gives people the ability to identify the location and size of bushfire activity in areas of concern for them," he said.

"We've listened to the residents.

"The app now provides the ability for users to obtain announcements applicable to the Local Government Area (LGA), or set up 'watch zones' to keep updated on specific regions within NSW.

"They can receive push notifications for areas of interest, whether it be their own home, family properties or relatives far away.

"In a few short steps, users may set up 'watch zones' for more specific information on regions they'd like to keep an eye on."

Inspector Best said the new functionality was an incredibly valuable tool when it came to preparing for bush or grass fires - and being aware of current incidents.

"With more and more people relying on their mobile phones for information, it's important that users download the latest version of the app, available on both Andriod and iOS devices," he explained.

"Fires Near Me NSW complements the suite of information tools already available to the public, including the NSW RFS website and the 1800 Bush Fire Information Line."

Users can search for the Fires Near Me NSW app in the AppStore or Google Play.

There is also a national version, Fires Near Me Australia, which provides basic details from participating fire agencies interstate.

For more information and 'how-to' guides, visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/apps