Prescribed burn season launched

As part of a rolling program, 65 burns have been planned in spring and autumn to treat about 7300 hectares of bushfire fuel loads on national parks, Crown land, council and SA Water land and private properties.

Prescribed burning is the controlled use of fire to manage the landscape. It reduces the amount of fuel for bushfires so they are easier to control and less likely to spread to residential areas.

Prescribed burning helps manage native vegetation, as some plants are reliant on fire for regeneration. Managing the landscape also helps protect biodiversity by ensuring there is a mix of habitats for all species.

DEW burns on private land began in 2016 and this season’s program includes a record number of private properties. Helping landholders in strategic areas to reduce bushfire risk improves the effectiveness of burns on other land.

All landholders are encouraged to prepare for the fire danger season by reducing fire hazards around homes and properties.

Large parts of South Australia have experienced drier-than-average conditions since the beginning of 2018.

The current Bureau of Meteorology outlook is for dry conditions to persist through spring and summer, and for parts of the state to have an above-average fire season.

DEW undertakes a range of activities throughout the year to prepare for the fire danger season and help protect the state against the ongoing risk of bushfire.

Seasonal project firefighters also continue to complete maintenance and verging of fire tracks in national parks to ensure safe access to fight bushfires and prepare for prescribed burns.

DEW works closely with the CFS, SA Water and ForestrySA to do what they can to protect communities across the state, but landholders are still ultimately responsible to prepare their properties and be ready with a bushfire survival plan.

Information about planned prescribed burns can be found here.

General information about prescribed burns can be found here.