Parts of the state’s east and south are on the radar of the Tasmania Fire Service, heading into what’s forecast to be a more dangerous bushfire season than the last couple of years.
Acting Deputy Chief Officer Shane Batt says more than 40 spring fuel reduction burns are on the agenda.
“The Derwent Valley is registering some very high soil dryness at the moment, the southeast corner of Tasmania is starting to dry out rapidly and we’ll see the East Coast come online very soon with very high fuel loads,” he said.
“We’ll see fires that will burn for days and weeks at a time, but certainly not [like] the fire seasons we’ve seen in 2016 and 2019.”
Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis has flagged a public awareness campaign.
“The key fuel reduction burns that are being targeted in early spring (weather permitting) are: Binalong Bay, Bicheno, Scamander, Latrobe, The Lea (near Kingston) and Margate,” said the Minister.
“The Tasmanian Government has invested over $115 million into fuel reduction initiatives, including $3.1 million for Red Hot Tips program that helps to educate landowners on how to prepare their properties for bushfire.”
