Australian Officials Confirm Early, High Fire Risk In Parts Of Three States Plus Northern Territory
Large parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory, the south-west of Victoria and south-east corner of South Australia face an increased risk of bushfires this spring. An official assessment from fire authorities and the Bureau of Meteorology, co-ordinated by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities (AFAC) and released on Wednesday morning, points to a likely early start to the fire season in Victoria.
The BoM forecasts an increased chance of higher than average temperatures across many parts of the country from August to October, which raises the risk of bushfires. Fire authorities warned people to prepare for the coming fire season and have survival plans in place. Rob Webb, the chief executive of AFAC, said the areas showing an increased risk of fire were liable to either see more fire activity or fires that were harder to extinguish because of the high amount of fuel such as dried grass, leaves, twigs and dead branches.
He said: “That increased risk comes from there being more fuel available that can hold a fire that, if it starts under the right conditions, are harder to control.”
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Even in areas where fire activity was expected to be normal, “destructive and deadly fires can still occur during normal bushfire seasons”, the outlook said. The federal emergency management minister, Senator Jenny McAllister, said “it’s important that all communities prepare for the fire season”, even though increased risk has been flagged for the NT, Queensland and Victoria. “The outlook predicts an increased likelihood of unusually high maximum temperatures across Australia this Spring. I encourage Australians to be aware of the current fire risk in their own areas and make sure their bushfire plans are up to date.” Webb said “the message is not one of complacency”.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/04/australia-bushfire-fire-season-warning-early-start