AN early start to the summer fire season with two large grassfires in Wyndham has sparked warnings that many at-risk households are still not prepared.
Point Cook CFA station officer Bill Robertson said Wyndham residents needed to be on “high alert”, with conditions prime for fast-running grassfires. He said there had been significant grass growth over winter, but October and November were very dry.
“We anticipate it will be a bigger than normal grassfire season because of all the good rain that’s been building up.”
Mr Robertson warned that many households were vulnerable.
“If there are long grasses on your property, clear them immediately. If you’re barbecuing, check that the cylinders and host connections aren’t perished, and make sure there is absolutely no burning off out in the open.”
Local CFA crews last month responded to two fast-running grass fires. A 12-hectare blaze started in Little River on November 24 after a landholder moved coals from his spit-roast barbecue to a patch of dirt. The blaze began when wind blew embers onto unburnt ground while he left to get water. The fire ran across three small properties in McIntosh Road. Eight trucks and 26 firefighters battled the blaze.
On November 4, six trucks and 18 firefighters attended a grassfire in Mambourin when a private burn-off got out of control.
The fire was confined to grassland and damaged about 300 metres of fenceline.
Weather forecasters are predicting a hot, dry summer after two years of milder conditions.
