Planned burn for Kilcunda this Monday

FOREST Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) will take advantage of favourable weather and forest conditions across the state to keep Victoria safer from the threat of bushfires.

A planned burn is scheduled to take place on Monday, March 18 in Kilcunda Block C - 0.8 kilometres west of the Kilcunda township, or for those familiar with the area, running alongside the Shelley Beach access road on the western side.

Preparations have been underway for a number of weeks in the area with vegetation cleared. The burn is scheduled to take 10 days.

Motorists are urged to drive with care and caution due to potential smoke and wildlife moving from the area. 

FFMVic Gippsland Deputy Chief Fire Officer Sam Quigley said planned burning is one of the tools FFMVic uses to keep Victoria safer from bushfires.

“Delivering our planned burning program takes a lot of planning and preparation,” Mr Quigley said.

“If you live in or are visiting an area where planned burning is taking place, there’s a good chance you’ll see FFMVic firefighters preparing locations or delivering planned burns. They’ll be the ones in our distinctive green firefighting uniforms.

“The bushfire risk management program is focused on creating a strategic network of fuel reduced areas on public land because it’s not just what’s being done now, but what we’ve delivered in the past and what we plan to deliver in the future that will keep our communities safer.

“Our climate is changing and that means finding the right days for safe and effective planned burning is also changing. While we’ve had a wet start to summer, the current weather outlook is favourable, which means FFMVic will be making sure all available resources are delivering the planned burning program.

“The bushfire risk management program is underpinned by scientific evidence, local knowledge and continuous improvement to make sure our work is focused where it will have the greatest impact in keeping Victoria safer,” he said.

FFMVic works with emergency sector partners including the Country Fire Authority, Fire Rescue Victoria and Emergency Management Victoria to manage bushfire risk, prepare communities and respond to bushfires and other emergencies.

"We work with the Bureau of Meteorology to assess weather conditions, such as humidity, temperature and wind speed, and will only carry out burns when the conditions are suitable, and it is safe to do so.

"The Environment Protection Authority helps us to keep the smoke impact from planned burns as low as practically possible, and to inform the community through smoke modelling and air quality monitoring.

“While planned burning is our most effective tool to reduce bushfire risk, in locations where planned burning isn’t suitable, we mulch, mow, slash and spray, build fuel breaks and upgrade and maintain the public land road network to keep Victoria safer,” Mr Quigley added.

The planned burn follows burns over the last couple of years in neighbouring blocks including Kilcunda Block B in May 2022. 

Register for the latest updates about where and when FFMVic deliver planned burning at plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au/