The bushfire season is just around the corner, and Hills residents should be making the most of the mild weather to undertake the necessary clean-ups of their properties.
Locals are advised not to leave preparations until the Fire Danger Period is declared.
While we are surrounded by our beautiful national parks, reserves and gardens we can also reduce the bushfire risk to the local communities by our preparations on our private properties.
Kalorama-Mount Dandenong CFA captain, Bill Robinson, advises that not only can we improve our own safety by cleaning up our property but we add to the safety of our neighbours and nearby local community.
The Kalorama Fuel Management Group has undertaken extensive research work in the last few years to identify areas that would substantially benefit from fuel reduction works on public and private land.
Members of the group include representatives from the CFA, Forest Fire Management, Yarra Ranges Council, Kalorama-Mount Dandenong brigade and local residents.
A large amount of work has been undertaken ground-truthing the fuel loads in areas around Kalorama and computer modelling to understand and simulate a bushfire’s development and progression in the landscape.
From this work, priority areas have been identified for fuel reduction to reduce the overall risk.
Many of these areas also involve private property and these properties maybe contacted by the council or the local brigade to reduce the fuel load for the benefit of their own safety and the community.
If new residents are unsure of their risk or what they need to do to mitigate this risk, they are invited to contact the brigade for more information.
Having a bushfire plan is essential if you live in the area, and this must plan for a range of scenarios.
Community fireguard groups are also a great way to understand your local risk and provide opportunities to get to know your neighbours to reduce everyone’s risk in an emergency.
You can get more information by contacting the brigade at the station on a Sunday morning between 10am and 12pm or by contacting the community safety team at commsafety@kaloramafb.org
