Smoke haze Melbourne: Planned burns send smoke across city

There’s relief in sight for residents in Melbourne’s east still smelling smoke, but the hazy conditions could soon return.

Melbourne has been blanketed in smoke after planned burns on the city’s fringes.

The smell of smoke should soon ease for residents in Melbourne’s east, after planned burns created hazy conditions across the city.

But the smoke could return in coming weeks, with autumn the best time for authorities to conduct planned burns across the state.

Planned burns in the Yarra Ranges sent the smell of smoke across Melbourne on Monday, with the smell still lingering in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday.

But Forest Fire Management Victoria deputy chief fire officer Tamara Beckett said the smell should ease by Tuesday afternoon.

Ms Beckett said the past five days had presented clear warm days with light winds and cooler damp air returning overnight, which supported safe burning operations.

“This has provided an opportunity for our crews to carry out some of our highest priority bushfire risk reduction burns (last) weekend, particularly in Melbourne’s east,” she said.

And more planned burning is on the way.

Smoke haze around the city’s skyscrapers on Monday morning. Smoke is still lingering in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday.

The haze spread to the city’s west on Monday, shrouding an apartment block in Footscray.

“With milder weather, autumn is a critical time to undertake most of our planned burning and there is a short window of time to do so, which means it does unavoidably include long weekends and school holidays,” Ms Beckett said.

“We need to do planned burns after summer when we control the risk of fire in the landscape, but before winter when it is too wet.

“It’s important that crews take every opportunity while conditions are right to reduce bushfire risk, however we know that smoke from burns can raise concern.

“The program is underpinned by scientific evidence, local knowledge, and continuous improvement to make sure planned burning activities are focused where they can be most effective.

“Before undertaking planned burning, we engage with local communities to notify people of burns in their area as close to the time as possible, so that people can take the right precautions.”

Ms Beckett said where possible, people – especially those with pre-existing lung or heart conditions – should minimise exposure to bushfire smoke including staying in indoors and keeping windows closed.

An eerie sight at Chapel St, Windsor, on Monday morning.

It comes after residents from Bulleen, Diamond Creek, Burwood, Kilsyth, Ferntree Gully, Mt Evelyn, and the northern suburbs reported smelling heavy smoke on Sunday night.

Several CFA brigades took to Facebook to reassure residents the smoke was coming from planned burns.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning issued a message about the smoke for residents in the eastern, southern metropolitan and northern and western metropolitan areas at 9.37pm on the VicEmergency App.

“Smoke may be visible from nearby communities and roads, as there is a planned burn in Eastern Melbourne sending smoke across the city,” the message read.

“There is no immediate threat to the community and no action is required.”

The Lilydale SES said the smoke had come from planned burns in the Montrose/Mt Evelyn area.

“Please take care of yourself, consider closing windows and having your reliever medications handy if you need them,” the unit posted on Facebook.

“Planned burns are important to keep fuel loads low, and it would seem the lower temperatures and change of wind direction has started moving the smoke Lilydale and Mooroolbark bound.”

It comes after Forest Fire Management Victoria announced it plans last week to ramp up planned burning across the state.

Ms Beckett said FFMVic conducted planned burns based on conditions rather than seasons, which meant planned burns could take place at any time throughout the year.

“As long as the conditions allow and it is safe to do so, we will carry out as many of our high priority burns in bushfire prone areas as we can,” she said.

“We will undertake planned burns to reduce fire risk near communities, essential infrastructure and assets like water catchments, and ecological burns – particularly in the western grasslands – to help support rare and protected flora and fauna.”

FFMVic works closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to monitor weather conditions – such as humidity, temperature and wind speed – and will only carry out burns when conditions are right.

To be notified of planned burns near you, visit vic.gov.au/plannedburns or phone [phone].