While the official bushfire season has now come to an end, grey nomads need to remain ever vigilant of the ongoing threat.
It’s been a season in which controlled burn-offs in a number of parts of the country have got out of control, and the way in which they are carried out has been called into question. For example, back in November, a prescribed burn in South Australia’s Gawler Ranges National Park destroyed 12,000ha of scrub after breaking containment lines. It had been planned to burn just 500ha.
Some country SA firefighters are now reportedly questioning the state government’s expertise in scheduling burn-offs and have demanded more consultation. According to the Adelaide Advertiser, they say the unnecessary burning of national parks by the Environment and Natural Resources Department during fire season is “madness”, and claim most CFS volunteers are angry at the process and want to minimise safety risks for crews and residents.
A senior CFS group officer, who did not want to be named, told the Advertiser he did not think the government had the expertise to make burn-off decisions.
“The issue I have is the lack of consultation with the local CFS or local groups when they light these things,” the officer said. “We aren’t consulted at all. All we do is get sent an email saying when they are going to do it. They don’t ask our opinion.”
However, government officials have defended the process, saying burn-offs are vital to reduce fuel loads in high-risk areas, making it easier to control bushfires.
Environment Department chief executive Allan Holmes said prescribed burns sometimes took place in summer because vegetation was too wet in autumn. “The risks of these prescribed burns are relatively small compared to the possible consequences of a major bushfire occurring during the summer,” he told the Advertiser.
