This is the time of year we all start to get nervous about fuel loads and fire risk, especially in environmental plantings on farms where grazing has been excluded or reduced.
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Fire moves more slowly through vegetated areas, but will burn more intensely and creates embers ahead of the fire that can speed up the spread. However, in some low intensity fire situations they may form a windbreak that can provide control opportunities downwind. The behaviour varies widely depending on the type of fire and site conditions.
Good planning and design is the first step to managing the risk.
The size and configuration of your environmental areas should take into account the prevailing wind direction and risk factors such as proximity to roads and public areas where there is a higher risk of ignition.
Think about what is down wind of your environmental area – keep distance between the trees and infrastructure such as haysheds and dwellings. We often want “corridors” of trees in the landscape but the reality is that putting some breaks in the design may help in a fire situation – a squirrel glider can glide about 40m so gateway breaks may not impact the connectivity. In larger areas, plan multiple gate locations to allow good access.
Good planning and design is the first step to managing the risk.
- Kylie Durrant
Good site preparation before planting can be important – phalaris or other perennial pasture competes with growing trees and also produces higher fuel loads than annual grasses. “Laddering” effects occur when there is continuous fuel between the ground and the canopy, so managing to create a vertical break can be a strategy in high risk areas.
Maintain tracks and gateways – if the gate hasn’t been opened for five years, you don’t want to be trying it for the first time in an emergency. Spraying along the bottom wire on a fenceline can make a small break that can influence spread in slow-moving grass fires. This is critical for electric fences – turn them off in bad fire weather.
If you are using grazing, hit established environmental areas (five years plus) with crash grazing in the early spring to reduce the bulk that will be there in summer. Crash graze again in autumn if there is feed there and over time this will reduce the amount of built up fuel. Length of grazing time depends on the site but is measured in hours or days, not weeks.
The benefits of environmental plantings are well established. Risk is something we face every day – we just have to manage it. More information can be found at www.holbrooklandcare.org.au/revegetation.
