Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is preparing to ramp up planned burning across Gippsland, taking advantage of favourable autumn weather and forest conditions to reduce bushfire risk.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Sam Quigley said planned burning remained one of the most effective tools to limit the size and intensity of future bushfires.
“Reducing fuels like grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and small fallen branches means fires burn less intensely, spread more slowly and are safer for our firefighters to control,” Mr Quigley said.
“Autumn is generally the best time for planned burns because the weather is more stable and fire behaviour is easier to predict.”
A total of 97 burns, covering about 81,000 hectares, are prepared for ignition across the Gippsland region this year, with priority areas including state forests, parks and reserves around Noojee, Erica, Heyfield
and Mallacoota.
The program will also include the reintroduction of low-intensity fire into areas affected by the 2019–20 Australian bushfires, with several multi-year landscape mosaic burns planned.
Mr Quigley said a range of other fuel management methods would also be used where burning was
not suitable.
“This includes mulching, mowing, slashing and spraying, building and maintaining fuel breaks and upgrading the public land road network,” he said.
FFMVic works closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to assess conditions such as humidity, temperature and wind speed, with burns only proceeding when it is safe to do so.
The agency also partners with the Country
Fire Authority, Fire Rescue Victoria and Emergency Management Victoria on bushfire preparedness
and response.
While planned burns can produce smoke, authorities say it is generally less intense and shorter-lived than smoke from uncontrolled bushfires. Communities are notified in advance to help residents manage exposure.
Residents can register for updates on planned burns through the FFMVic website.
