Expert warns Tassie is facing longer, hotter and drier fire seasons

Politicians need to act urgently on climate change and “stop playing Russian roulette with our safety and our kids’ future”, an internationally recognised fire expert has warned.

ONE of Australia’s most experienced fire chiefs has warned Tasmanian fire seasons will continue to worsen if politicians do not act on climate change, which he says is “killing plants, animals and people”.

Greg Mullins AO, who led Fire and Rescue New South Wales for nearly 14 years, said Tasmania used to expect bad fire seasons about once every 30 years but in the second decade of the 21st century there were three major fire seasons.

Greg Mullins.

“This is a canary in a coal mine and we must listen and act. I hate to contemplate how the next 20 years will pan out if we don’t start to rapidly reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr Mullins said.

“In 2013, Tasmania saw catastrophic fire danger for the first time with hundreds of homes lost, then in 2016 we saw World Heritage Areas and wet rainforests, which for millions of years had been too damp to catch fire, burning intensely. This happened yet again in 2018.

“Tasmanian fire seasons are now longer, hotter, drier and bad fire weather happens more frequently. My Tasmanian colleagues tell me that there is every possibility that Hobart could see fires like those in 1967 again.

“This is why it is imperative that we get politicians to listen, and to stop playing Russian roulette with our safety and our kids’ future.”

Now retired, Mr Mullins has written Firestorm, a book reflecting on fighting his first big fire as a 12-year-old to becoming internationally recognised for his response to major bushfires and natural disasters.

He said he was motivated to write the book for his grandchildren and to correct misinformation about climate change.

“Before and during the Black Summer fires, including the 2013, 2016 and 2018 Tasmanian fires, there was a great deal of lies and misinformation about the impacts of climate change on extreme weather, and therefore the frequency and severity of serious bushfires,” he said.

A wool shed catches fire near Carlton River on the Arthur Highway during the catastrophic bushfire in 2013. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Mr Mullins formed Emergency Leaders for Climate Action with former Tasmanian fire chiefs Mike Brown and John Gledhill and Tony Blanks from Forestry Tasmania, who he said shared “a sense of responsibility to explain the truth and try to contribute to a political shift that will give future generations some hope that fire risks will stabilise, and eventually start reducing”.

He said Tasmanians should demand more action on emissions reduction and try to reduce their carbon footprint, whether that be by fitting solar panels and batteries, stopping the use of gas for cooking and heating, or switching to electric vehicles.

“Perhaps one of the most effective things you can do, though, is to become vocal politically: make it clear that your vote will go to parties or independents who are prepared to stand up for climate action,” Mr Mullins said.

State warned to prepare for catastrophic bushfires

WITH the bushfire danger period looming, Tasmanians are being warned to prepare for a week or two of extreme or “even catastrophic” bushfire weather.

Professor of pyrogeography and fire science at the University of Tasmania, David Bowman, said a lot of grass grew last summer that needed to be cut or burned to create fuel breaks and provide safe spaces around properties.

“With climate change, the past is not necessarily a good guide, so we need to be prepared for surprises. So even if a La Nina develops it does not rule out a week or two of really extreme bushfire weather,” Professor Bowman said.

“The most important step for bushfire preparation is psychological, committing to taking bushfire risk seriously and following the advice that is freely available to prepare and, in the event of fire, react.

“So make a plan and get ready for what the weather gods will throw at us, which could include several days of extreme or even catastrophic bushfire weather.”

Professor Bowman does not expect to see a repeat of the horrific 1967 Black Tuesday bushfires in southern Tasmania in which 62 people died.

“We are so much better prepared primarily thanks to weather forecasts driven by computers and satellites, but also aerial firefighting approaches,” he said.

“But we carry exposure because of climate change that is loading the dice for more extreme fire weather.

“The big area for improvement is public engagement and using social media tools to drive preparation and response and I am pleased to report we are working on this issue with (the) Tasmania Fire Service and City of Hobart.”

A bushfire south of Geeveston, near the Huon Highway, last summer. Picture Nikki Davis-Jones

TFS chief officer Dermot Barry echoes the need for Tasmanians to be prepared and not to become complacent.

“With the rainy days and the soils still damp, it can be easy for people to become complacent about the threat of bushfire,” Mr Barry said.

“The threat is still very real, with rainfall causing grasses and fine fuels to grow, which will dry out in summer and create a bushfire hazard.

“Therefore, people need to remain vigilant and use this time to prepare their properties.”

Mr Barry urges people to create a bushfire plan.

“We can guarantee there will be bushfires in Tasmania as we anticipate a normal bushfire season,” he said.

“What we can’t guarantee is where they will occur, so everyone needs to know their risk and be prepared.

“You can live five minutes from the centre of Hobart and still be threatened if a bushfire starts.

“It’s important that people are familiar with their environment and are aware of the local bushfire risk.”

A bushfire plan, he said, included the steps people needed to take to prepare their homes, the steps to take if staying to defend against a bushfire, or the steps to take to leave early for a safer place.

“Making a choice to stay or leave when a bushfire is approaching is too late,” Mr Barry said.

Professor David Bowman stands next to snow gums after the January bushfires near Lake Mackenzie. Picture Chris Kidd

There were 24 vegetation fires reported during the 2020-21 bushfire season that were greater than 2ha, with a total burnt area of 2063ha.

The TFS has 4900 volunteers registered across its 224 brigades, as well as 353 career firefighters across the three regions.

Of those, the TFS said it aimed to have 154 firefighters trained in remote area firefighting in time for bushfire season to enable TFS to support Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service to deal with fires in remote wilderness.

United Fire Fighters’ Union secretary Leigh Hills is pleased with preparations for the coming fire season.

“The TFS is better prepared than it has been for the last three seasons and it has filled vacancies for remote area teams,” Mr Hills said.

“The upgrade of vehicles is continuing and there is an agreement to supply aircraft and contracts for water bombing if needed are in place a lot earlier this year.”

Volunteers proud to serve community

IT takes a remarkable commitment to be a volunteer firefighter.

You have to go to training once a week and have a pager at hand at all times.

Andrew Johns, 51, an electrical engineer with Telstra, became a volunteer firefighter 31 years ago when he was a 20-year-old university student and had some friends in a local suburban brigade.

He now leads a team of 25 to 30 volunteers at the Mt Nelson Fire Brigade as their first officer.

“I guess I like the sense of serving your community,” Mr Johns said.

“Doing it is my way of giving back.

“I’ve been first officer for 22 years and I’ve learnt a lot of skills that I can use in my every day life, particularly working with people and leading a team.”

His brigade responds to about 50 calls a year and he has three officers to look after training, personnel and logistics.

“The Tasmania Fire Service provides excellent training. You can’t step into a fire truck without training and we train every Tuesday night.

“The basic training involves climbing ladders, map reading, using ropes and fire extinguishers and a suite of other things which are useful.

“We go to call outs for anything from car accidents to a chimney fire to a school fire.

“We were first call out to the Myer fire in 2007 and we went to the Cosgrove High School fire too.”

Mount Nelson TFS volunteers, from left, Warren Nicholas, Nick Creese, 1st Officer Andrew Johns and Tom Hinds. Picture: Chris Kidd

Mr Johns says some bigger brigades go to 500 calls for help a year, but at Mt Nelson his crew does not attend as many house fires as some other suburbs.

He said his brigade does not have rosters for volunteers and when a pager goes off volunteers head for the station.

“You can’t get on the turps. I’m a non-drinker but everyone is very conscious of not drinking – you have to have zero alcohol reading to drive the truck.

“We have a first-come-first-served basis so when the pager goes we always get two or three volunteers turning up.

“If we go to an accident on the (Southern) Outlet for example we know we have 3000 litres of water on the truck.”

For Mr Johns, who lives at Tolmans Hill, the only downside to his fire-fighting work is the knowledge that his crew may know someone involved in an accident or whose house is on fire.

“It’s a small community here. Most volunteers live in the area and there is always a risk you will know someone you’re called to help,” he said.

“The Mt Nelson brigade is a very strategically important position because from here we can head to town or down south.

“During Covid we had the TFS set up some shipping containers here for staff to sleep in and they brought a heavy tanker with them.”

Mr Johns has no women in his current team of volunteers and has a list of people ready to join the brigade’s ranks.

Tom Hinds, 20, joined the junior volunteers when he was aged just nine

“I enjoy doing it and want to become a career firefighter,” he said.

At 64, Warren Nicholas is the oldest in the Mt Nelson brigade and plans to move off the hose to become a staging areas officer responsible for logistics and supplies. He has been a volunteer for more than 15 years.

“I like the sense of community and the appreciation that the public gives us for what we do,” he said.

Nick Creese was persuaded to join by a friend 14 years ago.

“I’ve been at Mt Nelson all my life and I’ve enjoyed it since I joined because we are such a close-knit group although we come from all different professions and we’re all helping the community,” Mr Creese said.