Fire season in Ballarat: Experts warn against summer complacency

Victorians have been warned that the coming summer will be high-risk for bushfires and grassfires with a warm start to spring, and are urged to start preparations with authorities advising it's too late to leave it to the last minute.

The Ballarat region is more likely to experience dangerous and wind-assisted fast-spreading grass fires and residents in vulnerable areas, and those on the city's rural-urban fringe need to take preparations seriously.

New research from the Australian Red Cross has found Australians have a growing "anything could happen" attitude regarding heatwaves, bushfire, floods and natural disaster but only 10 per cent of people are preparing or have a plan if faced with a crisis.

"We know the better prepared you are, the better your capacity to respond and recover from any emergency. Just thinking about it is not enough," Australian Red Cross chief of staff Penny Harrison said.

"People living in Australia are clearly thinking about what may lie ahead, with one in three worried about heatwaves, bushfires and nearly one in two expecting floods and heavy rain over the next 12 months, however that concern is not translating into active preparation."

Fire experts believe large-scale catastrophic bushfires are less likely to occur this summer, with moisture levels in forests likely to slow down fire spread, but bushfires are still a risk.

They said many Ballarat residents who have moved to the city and surrounds over the past few years, and who have not experienced a hot, dry summer, need to educate themselves on fire risk.

A recent poll found 58 per cent of Australians expect heatwaves in the coming 12 months, more than double the number five years ago, and a third of people were worried they would be impacted by bushfires.

More than 40 per cent worried about the impact of floods and heavy rain, and 38 per cent expect major power outages lasting four hours or longer.

Ms Harrison said people who were ill-prepared for an emergency were more likely to suffer severe emotional impacts if they were impacted.

"The research combined with our extensive experience in emergency preparedness, response, recovery provides evidence that the more prepared a person is before disaster strikes, the better their resilience and the lower the post-disaster emotional impact experienced," she said.

Ms Harrison said Australian Red Cross' annual Emergency Ready Week reminded people of the importance to get prepared.

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said now was the time for people to start preparing for the summer season and a collective community effort was needed to reduce bushfire risk.

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"Victoria is one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world, so it's vital for everyone to plan ahead," he said.

"All it takes is some basic maintenance such as clearing your gutters, picking up loose leaves and twigs, pruning tree branches so they aren't overhanging the roof of your property, or even just keeping your lawn under 10cm tall.

"High rainfall and moisture levels over the past 12 months will have led to vegetation growth on private properties, so it's important to maintain your property through spring and into fire season."

Mr Heffernan said it was vital for households who may be at risk of bushfire or grassfire to have a fire plan and start clearing their properties early.

The El Nino declaration comes two months after the World Meteorological Organization announced an El Nino was under way, increasing the likelihood of record high global temperatures.

This weather pattern is the opposite of La Nina, and is linked to hot, dry weather.

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