A SEPTEMBER run of uncontrolled bushfires within South East Queensland’s regional areas have firies worried about what hotter months will deliver.
A South East Queensland rural brigade first officer who regularly fronts blazes alongside his crew, said “people don’t realise how many fires there’s been already”.
“There have been a lot more fires than in previous years,” he said of September’s tally.
“Normally [fire season] is November, December … it’s come early.”
Oftentimes people don’t realise how close bushfires are because rural firies work hard to stay one step ahead of blazes.
This unseen volunteer workforce spends days keeping watch and putting in the hard yards to contain a bushfire.
He said the most common cause of fire sparking is ‘usually a lawn mower or slasher’.
“Another one is a stack pile, [residents] light them in the middle of the day thinking ‘they’ll be right’,” he said.
“There has been a lot of new people moving to the regions and they don’t necessarily understand how to keep their properties fire safe.”
He said it was illegal to light a fire in which neither the height, width or length of the material to be consumed exceeded two metres, without a permit.
“You need to know how many people need to be present, how much water is on hand, notify your neighbours, ring the first officer and Firecom before you light,” he said.
“Doing this ensures we know it’s a permit burn and don’t waste resources.”
Preparation is key to keeping your property safe and part of that involves the obvious, making sure the entrance to your property is clear.
“We need access right around the property, if there’s a fire, make sure the gates are open,” he said.
“Some fires we attend there is a car parked in the entrance and we can’t get near the house.
“It is the simple little things people need to be aware of, we went to a house the other night and it was a mess.
“We spent half the day using blowers to get wood and leaves off the roof.”
If small stack piles need burning, don’t light them in the middle of the day and clear the area around them.
“Have a water hose there if you can, light it late afternoon and watch it because all it takes is an ember to flick out into long grass and we’re called to put it out.”
