Autumn burn-off season fires up

Sustainable Timber Tasmania has begun its annual autumn burning program with six regeneration burns across the state.

Sustainable Timber Tasmania has begun its annual series of regeneration burns. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

SUSTAINABLE Timber Tasmania has begun its annual autumn burning program with regeneration burns in the Huon Valley and the state’s North-West.

A regeneration burn has begun northwest of Dover, with smoke travelling in a southeast direction.

A burn planned north of Southport was cancelled because of unsuitable onsite conditions.

Six regeneration burns have been lit in the North-West – three south of Burnie and three south of Smithton.

Smoke is travelling to the southeast.

STT said in a statement: “These burns were conducted based upon on-site evaluation of conditions including temperature, wind direction/speed, fuel and vegetation moisture, and favourable smoke dispersion away from population centres.

“In addition, burns only occur if they are consistent with the Coordinated Smoke Management System in place across Tasmania. This program, which was developed with the Environmental Protection Authority and is hosted by the Forest Practices Authority, sets a maximum amount of smoke that can be released each day into 11 defined Tasmanian ‘airsheds’.”

Tasmania Fire Service has issued a smoke alert for Moina, Cradle Mountain and Loongana because of the burn at Two Plains Rd near Mount Housetop.

People with medical conditions are advised to have a personal plan for avoiding smoke.