Grey nomads need to be more aware than ever of the risk of bushfires this year as they head off into Australia’s remote and beautiful regions.
The Insurance Council of Australia is the latest organisation to warn that bushfires are more likely in coming months than they have been over the previous couple of years.
Having examined forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology, Insurance Council chief executive Rob Whelan says the signs are not good.
“The very wet weather Australia experienced over the past two years has created optimal conditions for the growth of grasslands, providing potential fires with an abundant fuel source and means there will be a high fire risk from now until March,” Mr Whelan said. “The seasonal outlook also points to higher-than-average temperatures for much of Australia.”
The Herald-Sun newspaper reports that while the traditional bushfire season has only just started there have already been significant bushfires that have threatened homes and businesses on the east coast, including the NSW Central Coast, and Queensland’s Darling Downs and Atherton Tablelands.
Western Australia has also been hit by bushfires while South Australia’s Country Fire Service recently imposed total fire bans in parts of the state.
Do you feel threatened when you are out in bushfire-prone country? Do you know what to do if a bushfire does threaten your camping area? What can/do you to minimise the threat of being caught out? Email us here with your thoughts on this story.
