Residents urged to prepare for bushfires now as early start to season predicted
While the upcoming bushfire season has been forecast as ‘average’, but average should not be underestimated in the most fire-prone place on earth, firefighters warn.
Tasmania
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Tasmanians have been warned to start preparing now for what is expected to be an earlier and more severe fire season than the state has experienced in recent years.
The state’s fire services — the professional and volunteer brigades, parks and Sustainable Timbers firefighters — say the spring fuel reduction program will soon begin in earnest.
The 40 burns planned cover more than 3300 hectares at Binalong Bay, Bicheno, Scamander, Latrobe, The Lea near Kingston and at Margate and will take place when weather conditions are favourable
Acting Deputy chief fire officer Shane Batt said the fire season was expected to begin early and now was the time for all landholders to get ready. “We’re already seeing fires burn overnight now and that’s unprecedented,” he said.
“So we really are expecting the fire seasons to start early. so we’re asking people to act now and get ready
“The fuel loads of on the East Coast will cause us some problems.
“So we really do ask people to start preparing now, the land managers to the great work they’ve been doing over the last few years and people that are living that urban fringes to activate their bushfire plan, to get ready and make sure you’ve got your five minute plan done.”
He said the predictions for the season ahead were of average, but not elevated, risk.
“We’ll see fires that will burn for days and weeks at a time, but certainly not the fire seasons we’ve seen in 2016 and 2019, where the prediction was above average.
“So we’re expecting an average fire season this year moving forward.”
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Felix Ellis said the message should not be ignored.
“We’ve seen devastating bushfires in the Northern Hemisphere recently and while our fire and land management agencies are playing their part it is also the time for all Tasmanians to start preparing for bushfires in their regions,” he said.
“Tasmania is one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world and preparing for bushfires is everyone’s responsibility.
“After three years of mild bushfire seasons in Tasmania, the Bureau of Meteorology is advising that an El Nino is now increasingly likely.
“An El Nino would bring drier conditions with the potential for more fire weather.
“Fuel reduction will not prevent bushfires from occurring, but the potential damage of fires will be reduced, making it easier and safer for firefighters to control fires.
“Over the past few years, we have seen first-hand how planned fuel reduction burning has reduced the impact of bushfires, either by preventing ignitions or making conditions safer for effective firefighting.”
Since 2014, 1340 burns have been completed across Tasmania, covering more than 180,000 hectares. Since 2014, the state government has set aside $115m for fuel reduction efforts.
Originally published as Residents urged to prepare for bushfires now as early start to season predicted
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