Grey nomads are being warned that it looks like being a very bad bushfire season following a warm and dry spell in much of the country.
The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre’s (CRC) latest seasonal outlook shows a heightened fire risk in much of the eastern and South Australian coasts.
Experts say Australia’s warmest winter in record has combined with the ninth driest winter on record to leave full fuel loads in many areas, with suggestions that bushfire might arrive earlier and be more active.
NSW fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told the ABC that conditions in some areas this year are worse than previous disastrous seasons.
“The vegetation moisture levels today are considerably drier and are showing a worse situation than they were leading into the 2013 fire season,” he said. “We need a lot of rain to displace the moisture deficit across the landscape.”
In Queensland, the highest risk area is said to be south from Rockhampton to the NSW border.
Acting Queensland commissioner Mike Wassing told the ABC that Tropical Cyclone Debbie produced a lot of vegetation growth, but that had since dried out.
“What we’ve also seen with … Debbie is it ripped the canopies out of the trees. That put fuel load onto the ground and exposed it to more sunlight than normal,” he said. “It significantly increases fire behaviour as a result.”
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