Why winter burns are crucial to Coast’s bushfire resillience

As controlled burns began we spoke to fire crews about the work being done to protect the region ahead of a hot bushfire season.

Hazard reduction burns will be conducted through out Winter on the Fraser Coast.

It’s officially winter and a prime time for Queensland Fire and Emergency Service to conduct hazard reduction burns on the Fraser Coast.

QFES Acting Area Director for Maryborough Shaune Toohey said reduction burns had already started, with fire crews conducting a burn in a 20 hectare area near the Burrum River on June 2 and more burns planned for the areas around Churchill Mine Road and Howard.

Maryborough Acting Area Director Shaune Toohey. He's advising people of ongoing hazard reduction burns on the Fraser Coast. Photo: Stuart Fast

“There’s a few different types of reduction burns, ones where we’re doing continual burns to minimise the risk but will also have ecological burns … types of vegetation reseed and rejuvenate through the use of fire through the landscape,” he said.

“We also have rural fire brigades assisting a lot of small and large property owners in minimising risk for the upcoming fire season.”

Mr Toohey said the burns would be conducted across the region from June until August ahead the hotter Summer fire season.

He advised residents to close doors and windows if they were affected by smoke from the burns and hoped people understood this time of year was the best chance for fire crews to conduct reduction burns due to the cooler weather.

Mr Toohey said QFES understood members of the community have health conditions and asked them to have their medication close and if they had the opportunity, to leave the smokey area until after the burn operation concluded.

He said such operations usually last a day.

“These are preventive measures for the upcoming fire season and making sure we make the best use of our time before the weather conditions deteriorate,” Mr Toohey said.