The Rural Fire Service (RFS) has called on residents across the State to ramp up their bushfire preparations now before conditions worsen.
Regional Manager of the Central Region RFS, Brian Smith said crews had responded to several bushfires over recent weeks that had highlighted the level of risk already in communities.
“Firefighters were called to blazes near Gladstone and Rockhampton and were surprised at how fast these spread for this time of year,” Mr Smith said.
“This means that although some parts of the region look nice and green after having rain over the past few months, there is dry fuel for fires below the surface.”
He said residents should take this information on board, act while time was on their side and move to identify and reduce risks on their properties.
“This can involve putting in or strengthening fire breaks around sheds, homes, dams, crops and along fence lines, or it may be as simple as trimming trees, cutting lawns and cleaning gutters,” Mr Smith said.
“The fire breaks not only serve to protect property but also provide our crews with paths to get around on if they need to respond to incidents in the area during the season.”
Mr Smith’s call to action extends to parts of Central Queensland that are not traditionally considered bushfire hotspots.
“Bushfire activity has trended closer to the coast in recent years and this has resulted in destructive blazes,” he said.
“It only takes one day of bad conditions for a bushfire to have a significant impact on a community, regardless of whether that area has a history of fires,” he said.
