Time to fire proof ourselves
Published Date: 31 Aug 2013
Summary
Daily Liberal
LANDHOLDERS in Dubbo and surrounding communities are being warned that ignoring the threat of fire can be akin to the act of "suicide".
NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Orana Team Manager, Superintendent Lyndon Wieland, is trying to stamp out "complacency" as the 2013/2014 fire season approaches.
"I can't stress enough that people need to get their bushfire survival plan together," he said before urging property owners to sit down and work out what to do and where to go if confronted by flames.
"We're in front at the moment, let's keep in front," Mr Wieland said.
"My message is be prepared. Have your bushfire survival plan, have it finished, have it done so when the adrenalin is running, when a fire is impacting a property, people can pull out a plan and say 'righto, we said we'd do this'."
Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington local government areas are under the watch of the Orana RFS team that reports of a drier winter and four-legged visitors from up north helping to reduce fuel loads.
"We haven't had an exceptionally large amount of rain this winter and there's been a lot of cattle coming out of North Queensland into NSW and our areas, cleaning up a lot of the dry fuel," Mr Wieland said.
"But in saying that, I don't want people to be complacent.
"The Bureau of Meteorology is talking about above-average rain through September and the early part of October.
"If that happens, we're going to get a spring flush that will build fuel loads and they will be cured by the December/January period."
Last summer followed a wet winter.
Bushfires raged in NSW, taking a heavy toll on communities such as Coonabarabran.
The Orana team played its part in battling the blaze that practically wiped out the Warrumbungle National Park.
Winter 2013 has seen volunteer brigades helping contain the odd rural fire that "crept" rather than spread after being left unattended.
Pat Westwood leads the incident management exercise at the Orana Fire Control Centre at Dubbo yesterday. Photo: BELINDA SOOLE.
They've also been burning in preparation for the fire season from October 1 when "a permit will be required to maintain fire in the open".
A hazard reduction burn between Mogriguy and Terramungamine is scheduled for this weekend.
"For about three weeks there's been no rain, so it's probably an opportunity to get a nice cool burn in," Mr Wieland said.
"Instead of a raging hot fire we can get a cool fire that moves slowly and gets rid of the excess fuel."
The timing of other planned burns near Geurie and south of Dubbo is dependent on the weather.
Practising what he preaches about being prepared, Mr Wieland yesterday took part in a pre-season incident management exercise at the Orana Fire Control Centre at Dubbo.
Participants included Orana RFS staff and volunteers, representatives of the Canobolas and Mudgee fire control centres, police and other government agencies.
Help in creating a bushfire survival plan can be found at www.rfs,gov.au or by calling the Orana Fire Control Centre on 6881 3900.
