A 42-kilometre Cape Clear burn off which local brigades credit with thwarting two fires in the last decade has been brought forward by over a month.
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The burn off, to take place on Sunday, is usually carried out in late February or March but conditions have allowed for an early burn off this year, Cape Clear Fire Brigade captain Michael Rowe said.
The roadside burn off will start from the Mount Misery Creek and stretch along Rokewood-Skipton Road through to Gillespies Road at Mannibadar, between 10am and 4pm.
Fourteen brigades and representatives from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will be on the ground on the day.
This year the burn off will be held about a month earlier than in previous years.
“It's very significant, it's stopped fires in the past on many occasions,” Mr Rowe said.
“It's very relaxing to have it done, it takes the stress out of your summer.
“We're able to get onto this year a lot earlier, I don't think we've ever been able to do it as easily as this.”
Cape Clear Fire Brigade communications officer Brenda Haskins said the burn off cut right across where a fire might run.
“At Cape Clear we’ve proved twice in the last 10 years that where we’ve burned the roadsides, you can stop a fire.
“Both times we’ve had fire in the following weeks after the burn, the last five years ago.
“It would have got into a lot of bushland and it’s very, very difficult to get a big fire out in bushland. It’s bad enough in grass but at least you can see where it is. Bushland, although it burns slower, it burns so much hotter.”
Sections of Rokewood-Skipton Road will be closed at different times during the day.