The SA Country Fire Service has issued a statement encouraging South Australians to understand the new and simplified Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) which is now officially on duty around the country.
According to the Service, the new system is nationally adopted and is ‘action-orientated’ and used to tell the community how dangerous a bushfire would be should one start and what to do to keep safe.
The AFDRS replaces the 6-sector McArthur System which was developed in the 1960s and consists of four levels including: Green – Moderate (Plan and prepare); Yellow – High (Be ready to act); Orange – Extreme ( Take action now to protect your life and property); and Red – Catastrophic (For your survival, leave bushfire risk areas).
The AFDRS will also introduce a ‘no rating’ for those days where no proactive action is required by the community.
Executive Director of Operations at the CFS, Brett Loughlin said the new system is aimed at improving public safety Australia-wide and will enable more accurate predictions of fire danger conditions.
Mr Loughlin said the new system was aimed at improving public safety Australia-wide and will enable more accurate predictions of fire danger conditions.
“Having clear public messaging is vitally important to ensure communities from all around Australia can understand what actions to take to keep them safe when they are travelling, living or working in South Australia,” Mr Loughlin said.
“The implementation of the new AFDRS means no matter where you go in Australia, whatever the season, or fuels that surround you, you will be able to understand the level of threat and what you need to do to stay safe.”
He said the AFDRS also includes a Fire Behaviour Index (FBI) to be used by industry professionals to support decisions about fire preparedness, suppression, and prescribed burning.
The FBI will take into consideration eight different fuel types compared with only two previously.
