IT might still be September and the temperature might not have exceeded 16 degrees but the danger of how bad the upcoming fire season might be came to light on Saturday as a burn off flared up near Smythesdale.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
CFA crews from Smythesdale and Haddon were quick to bring the blaze in gorse scrub under control, with the fire contained to a three acre patch of land.
But Smythesdale Fire Captain Alwyn Parker said it showed how quickly a fire could take hold given the right conditions.
“This probably looked a lot worse than it was because it was burning in gorse where there is oil,” Captain Parker said.
“There was also a fair amount of dry grass at the base which would have caused it to flare up.
“It’s one of those ones though that once it’s burned it settles down before long. There were fire breaks set up, so it was quickly under control.”
Colin Woodgate, who was driving past at the time and snapped the above photo said flames rose quickly.
“It certainly looked like it was starting to get away and the the CFA came through the property quite quickly,” Mr Woodgate said.
“It shows how easy it can happen.”
READ MORE: Keep an eye on conditions
The increased fire risk comes as Ballarat is going through one of its driest ever starts to spring.
So far this month, just 18.4mm of rain has fallen, well below the monthly average of 72.1mm. The lowest ever rainfall recorded in September is 19.2mm which happened in 1972.
While it is unlikely that the region will break that record, with some rain predicted to fall later in the week, the dry conditions, after an average winter, means growth is sprouting.
Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said FFMVic and CFA crews are now focused on conducting planned burns in high-risk communities before the fire season kicks into gear.
“We will be working closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to assess weather conditions, such as humidity, temperature and wind speed, and will only carry out burns when the conditions are suitable,” Mr Hardman said.
“Underlying dryness across the state and the potential for an early fire season will limit our burning opportunities, but when conditions are right we will take the opportunity to reduce bushfire risk.”
Land and fire management agencies are calling on the public to help inform the strategic bushfire management planning across Victoria. To do so, go to engage.vic.gov.au/bushfire-planning.
For the latest information about when planned burns are happening near you, go to ffm.vic.gov.au/plannedburn or call 1800 226 226.
