By Parker McKenzie
Forest Fire Management Victoria will ramp up planned burns across the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley across the coming weeks.
Currently, planned burns will take place on Sunday 13, Monday 14 and Sunday 20 of March in Kalorama and in both Ferny Creek and Belgrave South on 20 March.
Planned burning is a key part of FFMVic’s bushfire and risk strategy to protect local communities, property and the environment.
FFMVic Deputy Chief Fire Officer Tamara Beckett said FFMVic conducts planned burns based on conditions rather than the season, which means burning will take place year-round.
“As long as the conditions allow and it is safe to do so, we will carry out as many of our high priority burns in bushfire-prone areas as we can,” she said.
“We will undertake planned burns to reduce fire risk near communities, essential infrastructure and assets like water catchments, and ecological burns – particularly in the western grasslands – to help support rare and protected flora and fauna.”
FFMVic said it works closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to monitor weather conditions like humidity, temperature and wind speed, and will only carry out burns when conditions are right.
Planned burn programs are supported by local CFA brigades, who FFMVic crews share regularly to share resources, knowledge and expertise.
Chief Fire Officer of Forest Fire Mangement Victoria Chris Hardman told the Star Mail on 25 February being Victorian means learning to live with bush fires.
“Living in the urban interface areas where we’ve got high densities of population and an extraordinary increasing fire risk comes with personal and community responsibility,” he said.
“We can’t necessarily stop bushfires, we do everything we can to suppress them as quickly as we can, but they will always be a part of our lives.”
Other bushfire risk reduction works will be carried out, including mowing, slashing, mulching and maintaining or creating strategic fuel breaks.
“I thank the community for their support while our crews carry out this important fuel reduction work to protect life, property and the environment,” Ms Beckett said.
“Without year-round fuel management, bushfires will be more damaging and harder for firefighters to control.”
More information regarding planned burns can be found at www.vic.gov.au/plannedburns
