General News
27 July, 2023
Emergency services urge community to get ready for potential above average fire season
Emergency services are encouraging residents to undertake fire prevention works now ahead of what could be an above average fire season. The Municipal Fire Prevention officer has already begun issuing fire prevention notices to properties in the...
Emergency services are encouraging residents to undertake fire prevention works now ahead of what could be an above average fire season.
The Municipal Fire Prevention officer has already begun issuing fire prevention notices to properties in the shire as weather patterns indicate the possibility of an earlier start to the fire season.
With the Bureau of Meteorology enacting an El Niño alert and temperatures so far this winter being warmer than average, Goldfields Group Officer Peter Higgins said the earlier fire prevention work starts, the better.
“There is a possibility of an above average fire season and all the indicators point to that,” he said.
“It is very wet at the moment and there’s grass that’s growing three feet high but our message to residents is to start doing prevention work now.
“The thing about being prepared early is that if your property is already under control, when it does dry off all you have to do is maintain it — it saves all that work down the track.
“We want to reduce the risk of any fire occurring this season.”
Central Goldfields Shire emergency management coordinator Belinda McKnight encouraged residents to educate themselves on bushfire risk now.
“With the changes in the climate, I think we need to be realistic in that emergencies are lasting longer, there’s more of them and they can now be compounding — you can have multiple emergencies at the same time,” she said.
“It is important to know your fire risk and the area you live in, if you’re not sure come and ask for myself and council or talk to your local fire brigade.
“We can look at your fire risk and the area you’re living in. There is so much information available on the CFA website and I’d encourage residents to educate themselves so they’re better prepared for the fire season.”
For further information on how to prepare your property ahead of the fire season, head to www.cfa.vic.gov.au
