With summer just around the corner and temperatures rising, Western Australians are being urged to get ready for the upcoming bushfire season.
The landscape heading in to summer is particularly hot and dry this year.
WA has just experienced its warmest September on record while rainfall for the month was the fifth-lowest since records began.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services is working to mitigate the bushfire threat through activities such as prescribed burning and developing firebreaks, as well as holding community workshops to educate the public on planning and preparedness.
Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan today visited a prescribed burn in Mount Helena, part of a $35 million program that has seen a significant increase in mitigation work undertaken on Crown land.
Mr Logan called on Western Australians to support the efforts of emergency services by doing everything they can to prepare their families and properties this bushfire season.
For more information on how to prepare for bushfires, visit https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/firechat
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan:
“Our message to the public is that if you live near bushland or if you are travelling to the South-West you need to prepare now.
“The weather conditions in WA paint a fairly bleak picture of what we’re facing this bushfire season, and that’s why it’s so important that everyone works together to reduce the threat.
“The McGowan Government is investing $35 million to significantly increase bushfire planning and mitigation work on Crown land, and to support local governments to manage bushfire risks.
“However, this has to be a united effort, and I’m urging everybody to prepare their property, have an emergency kit ready to go, and know what you will do if a bushfire strikes.
“Having a five-minute Fire Chat with your family about what you will do if a bushfire threatens your area could potentially save your life. Indecision can be fatal, so take the time now to decide when you will know to leave, where you will go and how you will get there.”
