Wimmera, Mallee: Total fire bans already called before summer starts
High temperatures before the official start of summer has farmers and CFA volunteers on edge already.
A “lively” summer awaits farmers and CFA volunteers with already high fire risk conditions in the Wimmera and Mallee set to worsen in coming days.
The season’s first total fire bans were declared in the two regions at the weekend with a fire south of Edenhope in the southwest destroying one house and spreading to more than 1200ha under strong winds.
Temperatures will climb into the mid-30s again from Friday.
CFA grassland curing maps already reveal large swathes of the Wimmera and Mallee are 80 to 100 per cent fully cured.
Observations of 150 specially trained volunteers, also show the southwest, central Victoria and northern country is drying out quickly with the start of summer still 10 days away.
Underbool CFA captain Cameron Gloster said the biggest concern in the Mallee was thunderstorms.
He said header fires weren’t as big a threat this year because harvest was well advanced after frosts had significantly reduced yields.
“It could be a lively season,” Mr Gloster said.
“It will all be due to thunderstorms rather than header fires this year because a hell of a lot of crop is off already.
“A lot got cut for hay because of the frosts.
“With a lot of thin crops, they are getting over it all pretty quickly.
“Everyone missed out on the finishing rain.
“As far as the roadsides and the surface fuels go, there is plenty around because it was a wet year last year.”
Wayne Munro, a Grassdale farmer, who is also the officer in charge of the Merino Group of CFA brigades in the southwest, said this weekend’s high temperatures would spell the start of a long fire season.
“We’re still green here, but this weekend will turn it,” he said.
“But as we saw anything that is scrub related or plantation related, it is ready to burn and ready to burn fast.
“We’re 12 inches below the average rainfall. But the rain that has come has hit at exactly the right time to get good grass growth. We’re in for a very dry summer.”
He said areas like his with a mix of plantation, forest and grasslands would be highly susceptible to fire.
“We’re in for a more dangerous year than usual,” he said.
“We’ve got no sub soil moisture and everything is right to go.
“We’re going to have to be on our toes.”