.jpg "Back burning at Victoria Point. Picture: Trevor Vienet")
Back burning at Victoria Point. Picture: Trevor Vienet
When we think about fighting a fire, images of firefighters spraying water on flames or helicopters dropping buckets of flame retardant often are the first to jump into our minds. But there is a vital job that occurs in the fire fight that people don't often see.
The work of CFA's planned burn crews is crucial work that over this fire season has allowed for fires to be contained and saved properties and other loved assets.
Manager of Community Safety for the South West Region, James Haley, has been responsible for overseeing planned burn teams respond to the recent fires in the states west and said they have had massive success.
Planned burning is used throughout the year to reduce fuel loads, promote the growth of native grasses, and create what are called a strategic break, a pocket of land that gets burned to create a barrier that slows down the spread of a bushfire.
"What's black doesn't re-burn," James said.
"As a general rule of thumb, fire reaches about three times the height of the vegetation so a fire across native vegetation is going to be a lot more manageable than a fire that might grow to six metres in height through pasture grass which can be incredibly dangerous and hard to control."
This year in places like Dunkeld and Cavendish, planned burning was used to create strategic breaks along roadsides, and around homes and farms which allowed firefighters to fight the Grampians fire as winds pushed the fire out of complex and risky terrain of the Grampians National Park.
"We had enormous success in areas where the fire broke out of the Grampians and ran into some strategic breaks we had burned," James said.
"This allowed us to contain the fire at the roadside instead of having the fire jump the road and spread to adjoining properties"
The other use of planned burns is to protect people's homes and other assets.
"In the last couple of weeks around Cavendish and Victoria Point, we have been burning around people's properties," James said.
"The planned burns create a separation between the bush and their properties. Sometimes burning paddocks, sometimes that can mean burning around gardens, anything to create that space. All of this work is done with consultation and the consent of landowners.
CFA's Planned Burn Taskforce is made up of a pool of volunteers around the state who make themselves available specifically for planned burning.
"They have good expertise in burnout operations," James said.
"We put out the request maybe 24 hours before, that we intend to undertake burns and volunteers from all over the state drop everything to come and help.
"The value of these burns, particularly around homes, sheds, and other infrastructure, cannot be overstated. Multiple burns have already proven critical to fire suppression efforts."
James said teams work with the community when planning these burns and it is actually a great source of comfort for communities being threatened by fire.
"We've also seen a significant positive impact with many residents reaching out for asset protection support. We have received numerous expressions of gratitude from landowners and community members for the collective effort," James said.
"It really creates community confidence, creating that space where they know it can't burn again.
"These communities are under an extreme amount of stress and pressure and to work with them, plan with them, and to see what they feel is important to protect is pivotal. It is not just a case of CFA alone determining what can be burnt to protect homes and other assets"
CFA works alongside Forest Fire Management Victoria to carry out planned burns. Planned burning is conducted by CFA brigades on behalf of and at the request of private land owners or managers of other reserves such as roads, rail corridors, council reserves, and water authority land. You can learn more about planned burns here.
