A drone trial by Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) crews in the Wimmera has successfully ignited an ecological planned burn in the Grampians National Park.
Celebrating the trial’s success, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio said the drones saved time and reduced the risk to firefighters.
“The trial – which involved FFMVic crews working with a licensed operator to fly the drone and drop aerial incendiaries to establish the burn – was found to increase accuracy and save crews time from navigating the difficult terrain on foot,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“The 3,000-hectare ecological burn, near Halls Gap, was identified as ideal for the drone trial due to its thick vegetation, intersecting drainage lines and creek system – which make it difficult for crews to access,” she said.
“Every year since 2017, FFMVic crews carry out the burn, which aims to create a patchy mosaic of burnt and unburnt land to break up the vegetation, encourage regeneration and provide habitat for threatened species, such as the Heath Mouse and Southern Brown Bandicoot.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said that, before the drone trial, FFMVic crews would walk into the area to ignite the burn which was often challenging due to the landscape in some locations, “increasing the risk to firefighters and taking more time to complete the burn”.
The Minister said FFMVic worked closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to assess weather conditions, such as humidity, temperature and wind speed and only carried out burns when conditions were suitable.
