Fireys gear up for bushfire season

Firefighting crews around Moreton Bay have been busy conducting planned hazard burns to help reduce the risk this bushfire season.

With excess vegetation including long grass, leaf litter, twigs and bark on the ground due to the recent rainfall, Southeast Coast District Assistant Chief Officer Joel Gordon says the outbreak of grassfires is one of his biggest concerns.

“All the rain we had last summer created the ideal conditions for vegetation growth,” Joel says.

“A lot of the areas that were burnt in the 2018/19 bushfires have recovered and accumulated excess vegetation and are getting to the point where they could potentially carry fire again.

“That means, it is very likely over the next few months we will probably see more of a grassfire season than a traditional bushfire season.

“However, in saying that, we are likely to see fire activity in the more exposed ridgeline areas over the D’Aguilar Range and also the open western parts of the Moreton Bay area.”

In a bid to protect lives and homes from being destroyed, Joel says multiple crews have been hard at work doing backburning and training exercises.

“We have been actively undertaking mitigation activities since the end of the wet season along with the Rural Fire Service, our land management partners, and Council,” Joel says.

“The Rural Fire Service crews from Samford and Pine Rivers undertook a significant hazard burn around Cedar Creek and Mt Glorious in August, which was a good strategic burn because they created a buffer to protect the community from approaching fires.

“Crews were also doing a lot of mitigation work around the Bribie Island and Caboolture areas, with the Council and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service taking a proactive approach during the cooler months.

“We also held a big group exercise recently where we had brigades from all over the Moreton Bay area come together, including the Rural Fire Service and Council’s Fire Management team, to refine our skills and make sure everyone is ready should we be called upon to respond to an emergency.”

In more highly populated areas, Joel says the Council is responsible for undertaking hazard burns.

“A lot of the bushland reserves near the Redcliffe Peninsula are managed by the Council, and they have a strong bushfire mitigation program to manage the at-risk areas throughout the year,” Joel explains.

“They also conduct strategic burns that are not going to adversely affect the flora and fauna that occupy the area.”

City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery says crews worked were kept extremely busy in the lead up to bushfire season.

“Bushfire season poses a serious risk to homes and businesses throughout the city,” Mayor Flannery says.

“City of Moreton Bay crews prioritised a number of strategic burns to maximise the impact of our risk reduction efforts and mitigate bushfire risk to the community.

“In addition, our natural areas and maintenance crews continue to carry out management of vegetation all year round to reduce available fuel for bushfires in the Moreton Bay area.”

During emergency situations, Mayor Flannery says residents can get quick access to information via Council’s MoretonAlert notification system and Disaster Dashboard.

Simple steps to prepare your home

The Queensland Fire Department has issued a warning to all Moreton Bay residents not to be complacent during this year’s bushfire season, stating now is the time to start preparing their homes and properties against future risk.

Some simple steps include:

• Clearing your gutters and roofs of leaves, twigs bark and other debris

• Reducing vegetation along access paths

• Mowing your lawn regularly

• Removing excess flammable materials such as long dry grass, dead leaves, and branches

• Trimming low-lying branches around your home to a height of two metres from the ground