Firefighters urge ‘fire-wise gardens’ to help protect against bushfire risk in Margaret River region

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Firefighters urge ‘*****-wise gardens’ to help protect against bushfire risk in Margaret River region

Local firefighters are encouraging residents to implement *****-wise planning into their home gardens in a bid to increase the region’s resilience to bushfire.

Amid ongoing warnings against complacency after what seemed like a wet winter, firefighters said the annual downpours had not undone the damage posed by last year’s heatwaves which left the native bush worryingly dry and sparse.

“The amount of inappropriate vegetation surrounding many houses in our region is scary,” a Wallcliffe ***** Services Brigade spokesperson said online.

“Having volatile bushes and branches surrounding your house during a bushfire is like stacking kindling around a bonfire.

“It’s not a question of if it will ignite, but when. If you live in bushfire-prone area like Margaret River, you need a *****-wise garden.”

Volunteer brigades have also hailed recent public interest from homeowners developing their own bushfire resilience, and the Department of ***** and Emergency Services has a new booklet outlining *****-wise garden principles.

A weekend workshop hosted by Wallcliffe was well-attended and came with a fresh message about the dangers of living in potential extreme bushfire-risk areas.

Volunteers stressed many coastal residents had yards and road access which could be difficult for brigades to access in an emergency.

Coastal residents could not be guaranteed brigade attendance during an emergency and were urged to have their bushfire-ready plans in place well before summer hit.

“The lack of rain last summer has had a big impact on the Margaret River region with thousands of ***** trees and scrub-land resulting in elevated ***** risk,” the spokesperson said.

“Unchecked fuel loads – dry vegetation, fallen branches, and thick undergrowth around your property – are the perfect tinder for a firestorm and ember ******* that could ******** your home in a matter of minutes.

“Everyone needs to be using the next several weeks to be preparing their properties for the fast-approaching bushfire season.”

To get involved in the Bushfire Ready program, residents could contact Gordon Temby on 0419 954 658.

The garden is available from Wallcliffe as well as the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River offices or online at

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Firefighters #urge #firewise #gardens #protect #bushfire #risk #Margaret #River #region

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up