THE region’s largest integrated forestry company was on high alert yesterday as the mercury climbed to a sizzling 34 degrees, which was the hottest October day in Mount Gambier for nearly 80 years.
OneFortyOne was on standby to respond to a fire emergency given the tinderbox conditions in the region’s plantation estate.
While there are green pastures across the Mount Gambier district, a fire igniting in a plantation is a tangible threat for firefighters and forestry owners.
The early burst of hot weather also gave OFO the opportunity to fine-tune its firefighting arsenal ahead of the peak summer period.
With a fire emergency radio in hand, OFO fire and safety manager Justin Cook said yesterday’s conditions were severe for plantation owners given it was declared a “total fire ban” day.
While the hot weather was early, he said it was not unprecedented in the region.
He said Bureau of Meteorology had been warning “days out” that Thursday would be an extreme fire risk.
“The reason why it was determined extreme was the slow moving high in the Tasman and a cold front coming through, so it gives us the strong winds,” Mr Cook said yesterday.
“There is dry hot wind coming down from outback South Australia.”
Mr Cook revealed the humidity was 11pc in Mount Gambier district, which was “very dry”.
While farming paddocks had yet to dry, he warned it was a different scenario on the forest floor.
“In the forest it is different. A lot of the fuels are dead, such as twigs and needles,” Mr Cook said.
He warned this dry fuel would “carry a fire” within a plantation.
“A fire at this stage will not burn across a farmer’s paddock into a plantation on a day like (yesterday), but a fire could start in a plantation with those dry fuels.”
“That’s why the CFS has fire danger ratings based on both grassland and forestry fuels.”
Mr Cook said this was the reason why the Lower South East was declared a “severe” fire day yesterday.
OFO had five Firekings on standby yesterday and three bulk water carriers as well as “appropriate” levels of firefighters, including contract fire crews.
“Given the conditions, we are happy with the level of resourcing,” the fire manager said.
With “average” fuel loads heading into summer, he warned there was a potential for a fire event.
“This is always a concern for us in this part of the world,” Mr Cook said.
He revealed the majority of their firefighting “summer crew”staff would start in early November.
Fortunately, he said the fire risk would ease today with colder and wetter conditions forecast.
“We will look to start our fire season proper towards the end of November.”
He said the early burst of hot weather was a timely reminder for people to prepare for the fire season.
Mr Cook said OFO staff practised their fire drills on Wednesday and would participate in fire “start-up” days early next month.
Training will include burn-overs and hazardous trees, which was an annual training requirement.
OFO has 100 firefighters as part of the company’s fire organisation.
Meanwhile, CFS brigades were kept busy with two small fires in Mil Lel and Suttontown developing yesterday.
A CFS spokesperson said the Mil Lel blaze was a rubbish fire, while the Suttontown fire was a rekindle of a previous burn off.
“The small fire out at Suttontown needed a single crew out there for around 45 minutes before being under control,” the spokesperson said.
“Other than those two incidents it was a reasonably quiet day but the wind will be picking up and moving across the state.”
The CFS urged residents to look around their properties and clean up any vegetation ahead of the upcoming fire season.
“This includes small things such as ensuring gutters are clean and lawns are mowed,” the spokesperson said.
“As well as cutting back bushes and doing their five minute bush fire plan available on the CFS website.”
