Fire services fall behind on hazard reduction targets ahead of hot summer

Fire crews across Australia have burned through only a fraction of planned fuel loads, sparking fears the nation could be dangerously exposed this bushfire season.

Exclusive: NSW has completed about 11 per cent of planned hazard reduction burns ahead of summer as states and territories prepare for the looming bushfire season.

In South Australia the Department of Environment and Water [DEW] has completed 13 of 47, about 28 per cent, of planned burns as part of the state’s spring land clearing program.

Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the NT do not set hazard control or planned burning targets while the ACT and Victoria measure targets on risk instead of hectares.

Volunteers tackled a 100 acre area, taking 8 hours of work to complete,6 trucks and a team of 12. Picture: Cambooya RFB

The NSW Rural Fire Service has cleared 40,000 hectares of land since July 1 from a target of 370,000 hectares and are aiming to clear a backlog accumulated over recent years due to wet weather and flooding.

“The most significant determining factor for the completion of hazard reduction work is the weather, with persistent rain across broad areas greatly hampering efforts in recent years,” said an RFS spokesperson.

The majority of hazard reduction burns takes place in NSW over autumn. The figures come amid concerns Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW)’s proposed “tanker strategy” will put lives at risk by halving the number of people on trucks in rural parts of the state.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service contained a fire at Hay Point. Picture: Zizi Averill

Bureau of Meteorology senior climatologist Hugh McDowell said the coming summer would likely be warmer than average across Australia while the east could experience higher than average rainfall.

“Warmer than average is very likely,” he said. “Wetter than average is likely for parts of the east. Not everywhere is going to be wetter than average and it's not going to be wet all the time.”

Volunteers tackled the Charlie Sector hazard reduction burn in Mount Victoria. Picture: Facebook

The SA department of Environment and Water has rescheduled some planned burns due to recent rainfall and exceeded the burns target for autumn, completing 42 out of a target of 37.

“Burns that are unable to be completed due to unsuitable weather are rolled over to the following spring or autumn as part of an ongoing, rolling three-year mitigation program,” said a DEW spokesperson.

In Victoria, Forest Fire Management Victoria has cleared 109,000 hectares through planned burning and other hazard reduction measures such as constructing firebreaks.

Strike Team 2090 spent the day in the Grampians assisting with back burning and monitoring tree crowning and spot overs. Picture: Facebook

Acting FFMVic Chief Fire Officer Scott Turner said the agency’s ongoing strategy focused on building a network of fuel reduced areas across public land through ongoing action.

“Victoria’s emergency services are well prepared for bushfire,” he said.

“We work every day to reduce bushfire risk to communities.”

In Queensland the Rural Fire Service has issued over 21,000 permits to individuals to conduct hazard reduction burning on their properties, a figure slightly higher than average.

Bushfires raged in the Grampians National Park in Australia's Victoria state. Picture: AFP

Rural Fire Service Queensland deputy chief officer Peter Hollier said the state was about three quarters of the way through its fire season, known as the higher bushfire risk period.

“Our mitigation period in Queensland, because we’re such a diverse and large state, runs all year round,” he said.

In WA, about 80,000 hectares of prescribed burning has been completed in the state’s southwest by the Parks and Wildlife Service this spring.

One fire burned through more than 475 hectares of rugged and steep country at Gilla, near Blackbutt. Picture: Rural Fire Service Queensland South Western Region crews.

In Tasmania, about 2,772 hectares have been cleared through 14 controlled burns.

“We have another week of wet weather ahead in many parts of the Tasmania, but agencies will continue to monitor conditions and will undertake further fuel reduction burns when conditions are suitable,” said Tasmania Fire Service director of community safety Chris Collins.

The ACT, which measures bushfire mitigation through risk instead of hectares, has completed 32 hazard reduction burns since July 1.

In the Northern Territory, hazard reduction burning takes place in the north of the state between January and June while burns in the state’s southern region take place between May and October.