It’s not even winter properly yet, but fire authorities are already looking at the calendar and getting a bit twitchy. If you were hoping for a quiet few months before the summer heat hits, the latest seasonal outlook from the Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency services (AFAC) has some bad news for you.
They’ve pinpointed increased fire risk for northern parts of the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia and vast swathes of central and northern New South Wales. We’re talking about an uncharacteristically hot and dry autumn that has effectively stretched out drought conditions across the landscape.
We really were looking for a good, proper wet winter and unfortunately, the climate outlook information from the Bureau of Meteorology is actually suggesting that Australia is likely to have above-average daytime and overnight temperatures.
That was the word from Sandra White, the executive director for national capability at AFAC. When you have soil moisture levels sitting well below average, the ground becomes a tinderbox just waiting for a spark. This isn't just about the heat either; it’s about what the land is holding onto after the last season.
The fuel load problem
In Western Australia, it’s a tale of two different problems. While much of the state is looking at an average season, places like Dampierland and the Ord Victoria plain are seeing a different story. The recent wet season was generous, which sounds great until you realise it led to elevated grass fuel loads. Now, as that vegetation dries out, it creates a massive amount of combustible material ready to burn.
Leon Gardiner, who serves as the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Kimberley Superintendent, noted that this is a regular feature of their dry season. His crews are already working closely with Indigenous rangers and local pastoralists to manage the land. They’ve got their preparations in full swing, trying to get ahead of the risk before it becomes an emergency.
Meanwhile, up in the north-west of New South Wales, the Rural Fire Service is taking a similar approach. Zac Van Dam, the district coordinator for New England, has been overseeing hazard reduction burns. These are the controlled fires lit specifically to clear out debris and reduce the intensity of any future bushfires. It’s a delicate balancing act, though, because the landscape is so dry that they have to pick their moments carefully to keep those burns safe.
Staying ready
If you are living in these regions, the advice is simple: don’t wait for the fire sirens to start planning. The authorities want residents to take advantage of the milder temperatures right now to clean up their properties. This means clearing gutters, trimming back overgrown branches, and generally removing anything that could catch fire near your home.
Mr Van Dam emphasised that this applies to everyone, not just those living on massive farms or rural stations. Even if you think you’re tucked away, fires don’t exactly respect property boundaries when the wind picks up. The potential for 'harder to contain' fires is the main worry for the teams on the ground, meaning the goal is to stop them before they gain momentum.
It is a sobering reminder that our climate is shifting, making fire seasons start earlier and stay longer. With temperatures tipped to be higher than average throughout the coming winter, the traditional 'quiet' months are starting to look a lot busier for our emergency services. If you’ve got a plan, dust it off. If you don’t have one, now is the time to sit down with your family and sort one out.