Fire danger season ends – but stay on alert

ELLOUISE CRAWFORD
THE fire danger season has now ended for
all remaining fire danger districts, including
the Mounty Lofty Ranges, Mid North
and Adelaide Metropolitan districts as of
midnight last Friday.
Country Fire Service (CFS) chief officer
Mark Jones said though South Australia did
not face as many large-scale bushfires as previous
years, the service’s volunteers were still
very busy.
Mr Jones said South Australians might still
need to exercise caution, despite conditions
around the usage of fire and hot tools now
eased.
“People should wait for conditions to ease
before considering any burning or risky activities,”
he said.
“If the landscape remains dry in your area,
please be very careful lighting winter burnoffs;
keep them small, and monitor them
closely.”
For residents in bushfire-prone areas, autumn
and winter are a good opportunity to
prune and clean up around houses and sheds.
Mulching garden off-cuts are a good option
for those not wanting to conduct burn-offs, or
for residents in areas where fires are not permitted.
“Many believe that our volunteers can now
rest as summer is over but nothing could be
further from the truth,” Mr Jones said.
“During the cooler months, our firefighters
respond to an increasing number of building
fires and vehicle accidents.
“The toll of deaths and injuries on our roads
is far too high and I urge all South Australian
to drive with caution.
“A single moment of inattention can cause
life-changing injuries or worse.”
Mr Jones said it was often CFS volunteers
who faced the worst trauma of road crashes
when they were called to rescue or retrieve
victims.
“Our volunteers are helping South Australians
24 hours a day, every day of the year,”
Mr Jones said.
“Our service has received a range of reviews
and recommendations which the government
has accepted. It’s time to get on with
delivering those actions to make South Australians
as safe as they can be.”