November 23, 2016
Is the South Burnett ready for another long, hot bushfire season? It looks to have started already … the fire danger rating for the rest of this week is either “high” or “very high”, and there’s no reason to think it’s going to ease anytime soon.
Three-quarters of the way through November, the South Burnett has received less than 10 per cent of its usual November rainfall.
The Rural Fire Service has urged South Burnett residents to stay on alert over the coming days.
“Warm temperatures combined with low humidity and increased winds will create dangerous conditions, where unattended or mismanaged fires may create sparks and cause them to spread quickly,” Assistant Commissioner Tom Dawson said.
“While firefighters are taking precautions to prepare for the heightened fire conditions, we also need the community’s assistance to ensure bushfires are reported quickly.
“We’re asking residents to be extra vigilant and proactive in calling Triple Zero (000) about bushfires.”
Mr Dawson said landowners who had conducted hazard reduction burns recently should also take immediate steps to ensure their fires had been properly extinguished and residual fires were contained.
“In addition, people should never throw cigarette butts out of the car window, as the smallest spark can rapidly ignite nearby vegetation and spread quickly under heightened conditions,” he said.
“We also ask residents to be careful when operating machinery in grassed areas, and to take extra care when using power tools.”
* * *
Over the past couple of months, rural fire brigades and local farmers have been preparing for an active fire season with a string of “Operation Cool Burn” hazard reduction fires.
But despite this preparation, there have already been several serious bushfires as well as a series of small and medium grass fires in the South Burnett.
The recent fire in the Wondai Forestry – believed to have been started by a lightning strike – burned for more than a week with water-bombers being called in to assist QFES, RFB and QPWS crews on the ground.
And firefighters were called back repeatedly to the Teelah area, north of Blackbutt, with fires in the valley burning close to houses.
* * *
Firefighters were kept busy again on Tuesday.
A house on Proston-Boondooma Road at Brigooda was destroyed by fire – the latest in a series of recent house fires in the South Burnett.
Emergency services were called to the scene about 1:00pm. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Crews were also called to fires on Ten Chain Road at Inverlaw and near the intersection of Hazeldean Road and Nanango Tarong Road, South Nanango.
A helicopter was called in to assist firefighters at Ten Chain Road as the fire was burning in heavily timbered country.
Neither fire threatened property.
* * *
The Rural Fire Service says a Bushfire Survival Plans is essential. Do you actually have one?
The survival plan should detail how you would prepare and what action you would take if threatened by a bushfire.
The plan must be written down and practised and should take into consideration the ages and physical capabilities of everyone in the household, including children and elderly residents.
On days of catastrophic and extreme fire weather, the QFES advises that people leave the area well in advance of any fire (the night before or early in the morning is recommended).
- Download a copy of the QFES Bushfire Survival Booklet here (1.4Mb PDF)
* * *
The QFES issues three types of alert messages about fires – “Advice”, “Watch and Act”, and “Emergency Warnings” – which will be repeated in the media.
- “Advice” messages keep people informed and up-to-date with developments on a fire.
- “Watch and Act” messages advise people to take action to prepare and protect themselves.
- “Emergency Warnings”, accompanied by a siren sound effect on TV and radio, advise that you must take action immediately as you will be impacted by the fire.
However, residents should not expect detailed information will be available every time there is a bushfire.
External links:
