New grassland threat confronts CFA crews

Erin Pearson
GRASSFIRE risks will threaten townships around Geelong this summer after drought-breaking rain, according to Country Fire Authority.
But operations manager Gerry Verdoorn said parts of the Otways would face a reduced risk, with sodden forests unlikely to catch fire.
Mr Verdoorn said areas surrounding Geelong from Lara to Inverleigh and Winchelsea were at the most risk of fire this summer as grassland and crops reached record growth.
“Central Otways (areas) are the wettest they’ve been in a while after 11 years of dryness following the rain and the eastern Otways tends to dry out a bit quicker but grassland will be our bigger threat,” he said.
“There is a significant amount of fuel.
“The other threat out there is with a bit more rain a lot of farmers are doing a lot more cropping. We have significant levels of crops out there and they’re all doing quite well.”
Mr Verdoorn said recent soaking rain would keep grounds wet, presenting difficulty for crews fighting fires.
“If we have a grassfire before the ground really dries out we could get our trucks bogged.”
Mr Verdoorn said some CFA members would also face new challenges compared to recent drought seasons in the region.
“Those who’ve joined over the past eight or nine years won’t have seen a severe running grassfire because of the previously dry seasons we’ve had.
“Rain has helped fill dams with a lot more water but the extreme fuel loads will be our really big threat.
“The fire season isn’t expected to kick in until after Christmas because the Bureau of Meteorology is telling us we’ll have reasonably steady rainfall between now and late December.”
Mr Verdoorn said the CFA would ramp up training until Christmas.
“We also now have a structure that involves just three people during the fire reporting process whereas in past years information has travelled from person to person to person,” he said.
“The other thing that’s happened since Black Saturday and the Royal Commission is an emphasis on emergency management arrangements
“The quicker we can get information out to people the quicker they can make decisions on.”
Letters, page 27