South Australians are being urged to make a bushfire plan now, with above average temperatures forecast for the coming bushfire season and six more regions entering the Fire Danger Season on Sunday.
The South Australian Country Fire Service launched its annual Be Bushfire Ready campaign on Saturday, with planning the main focus this year.
People in bushfire affected areas are being encouraged to fill in a free 5 Minute Bushfire Plan, which is on the CFS website.
From today (Sunday November 1st), the Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula all enter the Fire Danger Season.
The Eastern Eyre, Flinders, North East Pastoral, North West Pastoral and West Coast districts have already been declared.
The Lower Eyre Peninsula follows on November 15, and dates for the remaining Fire Ban Districts of Adelaide Metropolitan, Mount Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island are still to be announced.
Minister for Emergency Services Rhiannon Pearce said firefighters did a tremendous job keeping people and their properties safe in an emergency, and that everyone could support that work where they can.
“South Australians are well aware of the dangers posed by bushfires over the summer months, but we cannot afford to be complacent,” Minister Pearce said.
The State Government has also put extra firefighting resources in place ahead of what is predicted to be one of the biggest crop harvests in the state’s history.
South Australia is having one of its best growing seasons to date, with yields forecast to be significantly higher across wheat, barley, lentils and canola.
That exceptional growth brings its own danger, raising the chance of fast-moving grass, crop or stubble fires when the weather turns hot, dry and windy.
Three fixed-wing bombers and two helicopters will be based at Port Pirie until late December, so crews can reach grass fires quickly in the Mid North, Flinders Ranges and Northern Yorke Peninsula.
CFS Chief Officer Brett Loughlin AFSM said the amount of vegetation across much of the state would create risks as the Fire Danger Season began, particularly in farming communities.
“Creating a 5 Minute Bushfire Plan is a simple way to get prepared. It helps you understand your options, gather the things you’ll need in an emergency, and make important decisions before a fire starts … You might never need to use your plan, but if the worst does happen, having one could make all the difference for you and your family,” Loughlin said.
SA Metropolitan Fire Service Chief Officer Jeff Swann said preparing a property was not a job for rural residents alone.
He said many South Australian communities live where the suburbs end and bushland, grassland and farmland begin, and that fires on the urban fringe can move quickly, threatening homes, lives and critical infrastructure.
Minister Pearce said households could also remove fire risks from around their homes and download the Alert SA app, alongside completing a plan at cfs.sa.gov.au.
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