Canberrans can breathe easy with a below normal fire season expected for Spring, according to the National Council for Fire & Emergency Services (AFAC*).
Releasing its Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2022, AFAC said the Territory received average rainfall for much of winter and a very wet start to August, with more than a month’s average rainfall received in one day.
It said that with a negative Indian Ocean Dipole underway, and looking to persist through spring, above average rainfall was likely for the Spring outlook period.
“Maximum (daytime) temperatures are forecast to be around average and minimum (overnight) temperatures are forecast to be above average throughout the period,” AFAC said.
“Given the very wet start to August across the ACT and the outlook for above average rainfall throughout spring, below normal fire potential is expected for ACT during Spring,” it said.
“Should the expected above average rainfall not be received, then we would expect to see normal fire potential for grasslands in the ACT during Spring.”
AFAC said fire agencies and land managers would continue to undertake prescribed burning throughout Spring when conditions allowed.
It said Canberra residents could monitor prescribed burns that were being planned and undertaken through either the ACT Emergency Services Agency and ACT Parks and Conservation Service websites or the NSW Rural Fire Service’s Fires Near Me App.
AFAC’s five-page Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2022 can be accessed at this PS News link.
*Note: AFAC changed its name from Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council to The National Council for Fire & Emergency Services but has kept its original abbreviation.
