Forestry Corporation of NSW is about to begin hazard reduction burns in up to 20,000 hectares of state forest near Narooma, Bega, Eden, Nowra and Batemans Bay. Source: Bega District News
“Fire season has recently wrapped up for another year, which means it’s time to start preparing for next summer,” protection supervisor Julian Armstrong said.
Mr Armstrong said the coastal strip between Nowra and the Victorian border is one of the most fire-prone regions of Australia and managing fuel levels by completing hazard reduction burns is critical to our capacity to manage wildfires over summer.
“There’s a narrow window of opportunity to safely complete hazard reduction burns, when it’s not too hot or damp and the wind conditions limit the impact of smoke on neighbours, so we will be taking advantage of favourable conditions over the coming months to reduce fuel in local forests.
“We will also be burning recently harvested areas to remove flammable material such as leaves and small limbs and create a rich seed bed that promotes forest regrowth.
“While Forestry Corporation firefighters will carefully monitor all controlled burns to ensure they stay within containment lines, we do ask people to pay attention to any signs in the forest or instructions from staff and stay away from any burning or recently burnt areas for their own safety,” he said.
“Forest firefighters play an important role fighting fires in the region’s state forests, but fire prevention is a fundamental part of our role and is a vital way to mitigate the threat of a bad fire season in future years.
“Over the winter months we will also be investing in training firefighting staff, maintaining and upgrading equipment, improving key forest roads for rapid access and maintaining fire towers to aid rapid fire detection and quick response next fire season.”
Forestry Corporation is responsible for more than 2.2 million hectares of native and planted forests and has been formally involved in fire fighting in NSW for 100 years.
Hazard reduction burns will be listed on the Rural Fire Service’s Fires Near Me website and app.
For more information about hazard reduction burns, contact the Forestry Corporation Batemans Bay Office on 1300 880 548.
