By Bonny Burrows
“Have a fire plan. If you’re going to leave – leave early.”
That’s the message from the Pakenham Fire Brigade’s Officer in Charge (OIC) Andrew Turner as firefighters gear up for what could be a busy weekend.
Temperatures are predicted to hit a scorching 40 degrees this Saturday, and while firefighters are ready to jump into action if necessary, Mr Turner said it was up to individuals to ensure their personal safety.
“We’ve done all our brigade pre-summer training but the community also needs to be prepared. Know what you’re going to do (in the instance of a fire). Have an emergency evacuation plan and implement it if necessary,” Mr Turner said.
According to Mr Turner, vegetation – fuel for a fire – was drying out right across the shire and residents needed to be ready to act in the instance of a fire.
It is well known within the CFA and other environmental agencies that most types of grass have a life cycle where they annually dry out and die or become dormant.
This process is referred to as curing and is an important factor in fire behaviour prediction as the amount of dead material in a grassland can have a dramatic effect on the fire danger.
Mr Turner said the lower the fuel moisture content, the more chance there was of something burning.
“The fuel moisture content is down to somewhere between 11 to 15 per cent in some parts across the catchment,” he said.
“The fuel moisture content can vary daily, but that’s about where we’re sitting.”
To prepare for a long, dry fire season, brigades right across the central district have completed their regular pre-season preparation, as well as additional training in a few key areas to ensure firefighter and resident safety.
He said the focus on firefighter education this fire season was on how to escape if in danger of a fire, and also hazardous trees or “how to identify trees that are at risk of falling on us”.
Local crews had also collaborated with Cardinia Shire Council and other key agencies such as VicRoads and Parks Victoria to undertake fuel management works and pre-season clearing, he said.
With fire services playing their part to reduce fuel loads, Mr Turner said it was now up to residents to work together and help one another make use of the information available via the CFA website and VicEmergency app.
