Elvis set for bushfire comeback

By Tania Martin
GOVERNMENT agencies fear this summer will bring blazes similar to the 1983 Ash Wednesday brushfires.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the Federal Government fear one of the worst seasons in years are ramping-up fire ready preparations while the Country Fire Authority has declared an early fire danger period for Region 13.
Graeme Armstrong, CFA Region 13 operations manager, said the fire restriction are coming in at least two months earlier than normal because of the hot dry weather and lack of rain.
He said in the last week several burn-offs have got out of control, which coupled with the dry weather and no forecast for rain has led to the declaration of an early fire danger period.
The fire danger period will commence on Monday, 30 October from 1am, which means people living in the municipalities of Knox, Yarra Ranges, Maroondah, Manningham, Nillumbik and Banyule will have to find other ways to get rid of green waste.
Mr Armstrong said there are a number of alternatives to burning off including municipal green waste collections, working together with neighbours to hire a trailer and take the waste to a recycle depot, or making a simple fuel storage area with stakes and chicken wire away from the home.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said the Dandenong Ranges is the driest he has even seen and fears similar brushfires to the 1939 Black Friday or the 1983 Ash Wednesday brushfires.
He last week announced $2.5 million funding for the lease of an extra helicopter to help fight fires this summer.
The funding will be used to bring a third heavy ‘Elvis’ type helicopter to Australia from America in preparation for the fire season.
Meanwhile, the DSE is embarking on an intensive aerial surveillance campaign to identify bushfire hot spots around the state.
The department is using infrared equipment attached to aircraft to locate smouldering hot spots from recent brushfires and old regeneration burns.
Liam Fogarty of DSE said firefighters have already attended more than 150 fires this year which is more than they attended up until early December last year.