General News
20 March, 2026
Planning fire
Soon conditions will allow some agencies, CFA and Forest Fire to start a controlled burn program.
Already there has been much thought and observations have gone into a detailed process taking a lot of factors into account.
One of the key targets will be to reduce the amount bark and litter laying on the ground and developing into a highly flammable bon fire.
Here’s where it gets all tricky and complicated.
No longer can the fire workers whip out and throw a match into a grassy area and hope the fire goes the right way.
Nowadays planning can take weeks, months and even years to develop a scheme to suit a lot of interests.
Neighbors of farms and towns are keenly interested in the process.
Winemakers are not enthusiastic about too much smoke hanging around to spoil the wine; washing drying on the line can be smoke affected.
Wildlife species that are rare and in danger like the brushtail rock wallaby, the mallee fowl, the whipbird and pygmy possum among others.
The mallee emu wren and pink cockatoo are at risk and some life style blocks scattered around the regions can be host style to changing the views they have treasured for a few years.
The agency has to put together a plan, sometimes actually visit or set time to encourage people to come and check the intention.
They would set a target day and date and monitor the wind and moisture levels.
years.
It is getting harder to have all the conditions lined up because the dryer winters are not suitable for a slow fire.
It can be too hot, too windy , too wet or the weather forecast will not allow the right prescription to provide a slow burn.
Despite all this preparation fires do not always play the game and rogue sparks can hop over a fire break cause some concern for the workers and anyone watching.
to a more manageable situation.
We cannot subdue the bushland or park areas we need to deal with what we have and manage with the best knowledge and understanding.