The Moorabool News - 24 October, 2023 Page 13
Email - news@themooraboolnews.com.au
PREPARE FOR THE FIRE SEASON Are you ready for fire season? Victoria is expecting a warmer spring and an earlier start to the fire season this year and we’re asking those living in high-risk areas to take action to prepare their family and property. The new Spring Seasonal Outlook predicts the fire risk in the coming months to be normal across the state, as well as strong drying patterns in Gippsland’s forested areas and elevated grass fuel loads in central, western and northern Victoria. While La Niña conditions have subdued Victoria’s fire risk the past three years, our state is one of the most bushfire prone areas in the world, and we need people to be prepared as we approach warmer conditions. CFA crews have been protecting lives and property in this environment for decades – some for more than a century. They’re highly trained, professional firefighters that have made every effort to prepare their communities ahead of this fire season, as they do every year. We’re constantly working with our Victorian emergency service partners throughout the cooler months to prepare for fire season and this year is no exception. However, while we continue our work, our crews implore people to understand that fire safety is a shared responsibility between fire services and the community. We’re asking all Victorians in high-risk areas to take simple actions to prepare their family and property as the weather begins to warm. If you live near areas with bush, forest, long grass or coastal scrub, these actions and decisions may well save your life and property in the event of a bushfire. Find some time to sit down with your family or household and make a Bushfire Survival Plan, and if you already have one, it’s a great time to review it. It’s also the perfect time to tidy up your property, this can include clearing your gutters, pruning branches away from your roof or walls, keeping grass shorter than 10cm and removing leaves and twigs from around your property. Landowners should also consider private burn offs to remove green waste ahead of Fire Danger Period (FDP) declarations. All burn-offs must be registered, which can be done online at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au. Stay informed by downloading the VicEmergency app to stay across incidents and fire danger ratings in your area. I urge all Victorians to visit the CFA website to learn more about how they can prepare themselves ahead of this bushfire season at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/prepare. Stay safe, Jason Heffernan, CFA Chief Officer
Burn-off warning
Photo - CFA
A spate of out-of-control burn-offs has prompted a warning from the CFA – take extra precautions as weather conditions become warmer, drier, and windier. The recent out-of-control private burn-offs causing some of the fires in East Gippsland and Berringa served as a timely reminder for residents to ensure they are aware of burn-off safety measures and are prepared before ignition. CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said he encourages Victorians to take advantage of the window of opportunity to clean up their properties before the bushfire season but to make safety a priority when doing so. “It is imperative that residents register their burn-off and check the local conditions on the day, as well as coming days,” CO Heffernan said. “Conditions can change quickly, and fires can get out of control within minutes in hot and windy conditions. As we saw recently with the East Gippsland fires the effects of an out-of-control fire can be devastating.
“Burn-offs can flare up a couple of days after the burn-off, which highlights the importance of making sure your burn-off is fully extinguished.” CO Heffernan said there are some simple steps Victorians can take to keep their burn-offs safe as we enter a high-risk fire season. “The quickest and easiest way to safeguard yourself and the rest of the community is to register your burn-off using the Fire Permits Victoria website,” he said. “Let your neighbours know you’re planning to burn off as smoke and fire will be visible to them, and make sure you have enough people to monitor and extinguish the burn safely, don’t leave it unattended. “It is also essential you have enough water on hand to put out a fire, and we recommend establishing a fire break of no less than three metres cleared of flammable materials.” Victorians can learn more about how to prepare their property at www.cfa. vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/how-to-prepare-your-property.