Regional Bushfire Roundup
With most of Australia experiencing a combination of above average temperatures and below average rainfall over winter, large parts of the country face above normal bushfire potential for the fire season.
Sarah spoke to Community Engagement Officer for the West Coast and Eyre Peninsula, Therese to find out the bushfire outlook for the EP region.
Regional Commander for the Limestone Coast CFS, John also joined Sarah on Flow FM to discuss the upcoming fire season.
CFA Hopetoun's Community Safety Coordinator Shane joined Sarah more recently to discuss this years fire preparation.
Many other initiatives are now in place to help prevent fires over this summer season, Anita spoke about the move to bury powerlines to reduce risk of bushfires around Flow region Healesville, earlier this week.
Healesville and surrounds will also receive upgrades including:
Installation of a new protection device at the Woori Yallock zone substation projecting over 650 km of powerlines.
Installation of 60 adjustable automatic circut reclosers
The provision of three back-up generators in residential care facilities in Healesville and a further nine in residential care facilities in the Yarra Valley.
The Victorian State Government is calling for final applications for all regional Victorians interested in applying to the Powerline Replacement Fund to underground their bare-wire overhead powerlines before applications close in February 2018.
Check your eligibility at https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/electricity/powerline-replacement-fund.
The Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017 is used by fire authorities to make strategic decisions on resource planning and prescribed fire management for the upcoming fire season. To check out the outlook, head to http://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/38.
Images: Bureau of Meteorology Website
South Australian Fire Danger Season Dates 2017/18
Eastern Eyre Peninsula Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 15 April 2018
Flinders Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 15 April 2018
Lower Eyre Peninsula Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 15 April 2018
Lower South East Fire Ban District - 22 November 2017 to 30 April 2018
Mid North Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 30 of April 2018 (2 weeks early)
Murraylands Fire Ban District - 15 November 2017 to 15 of April 2018
Riverland Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 15 April 2018 (2 weeks early)
Upper South East Fire Ban District - 15 November 2017 to 15 April 2018
West Coast Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 15 April 2018
Yorke Peninsula Fire Ban District - 1 November 2017 to 30 April 2018 (2 weeks early).
Victorian fire restriction dates have not all yet been released, to check announcements for upcoming Victorian Fire restrictions, head to the CFA Website.
Mildura Fire Ban District - 30 October 2017 to 01 May 2018
Yarriambiack Fire Ban District - 30 October 2017 to 01 May 2018
Swan Hill Fire Ban District - 30 October 2017 to 01 May 2018
Hindmarsh North Fire Ban District - 30 October 2017 to 01 May 2018
Buloke Fire Ban District - 30 October 2017 to 01 May 2018
Tips for preparing for a bush fire.
You have a much better chance of surviving a bushfire if you have:
a written and practised Bushfire Survival Plan
a well-maintained home.
You also need to consider physical and emotional effects a bushfire will have on you and your family.
Preparing yourself psychologically or emotionally to cope with a bushfire is as important as preparing your home and surroundings.
Think beforehand about how you, your family and neighbours will react during a bushfire threat. Then develop your plan after talking with family, neighbours and people whom have experienced a bushfire.
Developing a Bushfire Survival Plan will help you to make the important decision of whether you want to stay and actively defend your home or leave early.
You need to be physically capable to defend your family and home during a bushfire.
Practise your Bushfire Survival Plan and check whether you can:
lift items such as hoses, knapsack sprayers and furniture that may have to be moved
get up into the roof space to check for embers
patrol inside and outside for long periods.
If you have concerns after you have made your assessment, consider whether you could modify your plan to enable you to cope. For example, you can half fill your knapsack sprayer with water or stand it on a bench when filling it to avoid having to pick it up off the floor.
A good general check is to go for a brisk 30-minute walk. If you are unable to walk briskly for that length of time you should reconsider your plan to stay and defend your property.
If you or a member of your family has a temporary condition such as a broken arm during the fire season, consider how that might affect your Bushfire Survival Plan.
Know and practise your Bushfire Survival Plan so that you and your family can follow it, even when under stress.
Member for Stuart, Dan van Holst Pellekaan is encouraging all community members and groups to assess their bush fire survival plan and ensure it takes into consideration the potential for a loss of power or mobile phone service.
“It is also important to consider the potential for a loss of power or mobile phone service, as while these outages are rare, they do happen and often it’s when we least expect it.
“Even those people in a non-bush fire risk area are at risk of losing power as it is likely the power lines run through a bush fire risk area.”
South Australian Power Networks (SAPN) also advises in a bush fire situation, outages may last for extended periods depending on the location and extent of damage and SAPN’s ability to access fire grounds for repairs. SAPN also recommends people consider having their own back up electricity generation.
“On days of extreme heat or bush fire risk, it is recommended keeping radio, torch and mobile communication device batteries fully charged to keep in touch with the latest weather, fire and power information,” Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.
Emergency information is available through the Alert SA app visit www.alert.sa.gov.au or the VicEmergency App at cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/vicemergency-app/
For information about preparing for the bush fire season visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au or www.cfa.vic.gov.au
For information about electricity supply issues visit www.sapowernetworks.com.au or phone 13 12 61
or www.powercor.com.au on 13 24 12.