Agriculture Victoria is urging farmers in areas enjoying good spring conditions to take the time to consider how prepared they are for the upcoming fire season.

To encourage landholders to think about fire preparation, Agriculture Victoria is presenting Prepare Your Property, two webinars on Tuesday 11 October for the North East and East Gippsland.

Guest presenter and CFA Community Liaison Officer Allan Cracknell from the Bairnsdale Brigade said the webinars are focussed on practical advice for preparing properties for the fire season.

“There are practical steps people can take now to prepare for the fire season,” Mr Cracknell said.

“You can make sure you have enough fuel on hand for vehicles and pumps, and ensure your property is clearly identified from the road with numbers that can be seen from both directions.”

“To help prevent haystack fires, slash a 5m area around haystacks, and create multiple stacks in separate locations. That way, if a fire does start, you won’t lose all your fodder.”

Mr Cracknell said one of the most important parts of fire preparedness is a clear evacuation plan.

“You need to know where you are going to go, have two evacuation points in case one is blocked, and note down who you will inform that you are leaving. And then do a trial run.

“Planning for a fire doesn’t have to be intimidating or frightening, it’s just simply saying here is my plan, this is what I am going to do.”

North East Agriculture Recovery Manager Kylie Macreadie said these webinars will also provide a good opportunity to hear from local landholders and their insights into preparing a property for fire.

“These guest speakers will provide valuable first-hand experience of fire preparedness with simple, practical steps,” Ms Macreadie said.

“It’s all about thinking and acting now, long before the weather starts to heat up.”

Guest speakers for the East Gippsland webinar include landholders and CFA members Kevin Dean and Ian Brownrigg.

The North East webinar will feature CFA Fire and Emergency Management Commander Peter Dedman and landholder Michael Gadd.

The free Prepare Your Property webinars are on Tuesday,12 October, from 7.30–8.15 pm. Register by 5 pm Tuesday 12 October at https://prepare_your_property.eventbrite.com.au For details contact Paul Simpson, North East Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0455 750 605 or paul.simpson@agriculture.vic.gov.au, or Tim O’Donnell, East Gippsland Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0448 540 741, or tim.o’donnell@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Source: Agriculture Victoria