General News
10 September, 2024
Seasonal outlook predicts average bushfire conditions, but residents are urged to prepare now
While the Central Goldfields is predicted to face a normal fire season this spring, local brigades are taking precautions in case things go south — with residents also being advised to get onto their cleanup because “early preparedness is essential”.
The forecast forms part of the recently released Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook — which outlines the expected fire conditions from September to November.
According to the report, a drier than average autumn and winter has caused “a substantial increase” in dead and dry plants in forests across the Wimmera, Grampians and Mallee regions — leading to an increased risk of fire.
A potential early bushfire season has also been predicted for these areas.
Although the Central Goldfields is located just outside of the at-risk zone, Goldfields Group Officer Peter Higgins is urging residents to not get complacent.
“That early preparedness is essential — it gives you peace of mind knowing you have done all the good work like cleaning gutters, and mowing the lawn. It ensures you are ready even if temperatures quickly jump to mid 20s or low 30s,” he said.
“If you just look out the backyard and say ‘I might give the lawns a bit of a mow today’ instead of saying ‘that grass is three foot high, we might be in a bit of trouble here’, it makes a big difference.
“I can’t express how important it is to do it early — you don’t have to do it all in one go, do little bits here and there.”
Mr Higgins said local fire brigades have already started taking precautions as the Fire Danger Period approaches.
“Our mindset is that we are probably going to have a little bit of an above average fire season,” he said.
“Before we find ourselves in a [dangerous] situation, we want to make sure that our firefighters have the right protection so if we do have to fight fires, we are safe.
“CFA is already making sure that our resources are well maintained — we’re also doing some pre-season organising and training to prepare for the upcoming fire season.”
According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), average temperatures in Maryborough across June, July and August all surpassed annual monthly averages — with last month’s 16.6 degree average marking the hottest August recorded since 1982.
BoM also states that only July exceeded the average monthly rainfall with 57.6 millimetres.
This is expected to change with the BoM climate outlook suggesting the Central Goldfields has an over 65 percent chance of exceeding average rainfall from October to December as temperatures are expected to be above average.
While conditions continue to vary each fire season, Mr Higgins said it’s always important for the community to look out for each other to combat the dangers of bushfires.
“Have a chat to your next-door neighbour about how it could potentially be a pretty dry season and check if they need a hand to do something,” he said.
“It’s no good asking someone after it is too late — that early communication chain is very important to ensure that your street is prepared.”
For tips on fire prevention and the latest advice and restrictions visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au