.png "Wye River Captain Andrew Hack and Community Safety Coordinator and former Captain Roy Moriarty")
Wye River Captain Andrew Hack and Community Safety Coordinator and former Captain Roy Moriarty
Amid drought conditions, nearly 150 fire brigades in Victoria's southwest will open their doors to community members throughout October, helping to prepare them for fire season.
With record rainfall deficits and an increased risk of fire for much of the southwest region, local CFA volunteers are prompting residents to get fire ready.
From Freshwater Creek, to Beeac, Cobden and right across to Nelson, members will base themselves at the fire station, general store or local market to educate their residents of the upcoming fire risk and ensure they understand how best to protect their families.
Wye River Fire Brigade is no stranger to fire and will be among those getting involved. Captain Andrew Hack said town preparedness is a key focus for them in the lead up to summer, with their population rapidly rising from 100 people to almost 4000 in the peak season.
"It's interesting, you have a significant event like 10 years ago, but the longer the time passes from that event, people forget and can begin to let their guard down," Andrew said.
"Whether it is cleaning up around their properties, getting their fire bag ready in preparation to evacuate, or simply understanding what their plan will be – it needs to be revisited.
"We just have to keep tapping away each year reminding people not to become complacent.
"CFA's mantra is to be alert, not alarmed, and we just keep pushing that to people. We don't want you to be scared, but we want you to plan and be ready."
Recent winter weather conditions has seen a wrath of large debris needing to be cleaned up, particularly for those that live under the trees.
"Each year in the lead up to Christmas, the Colac Otway Shire Council drop large green skip bins in town and in Kennett River to allow residents to clear their vegetation," Andrew said.
"It's been a great way to assist people who would otherwise struggle to burn off themselves.
"Now is also the time to remove your firewood and any highly flammable items such as your doormat away from your home."
Wye River Brigade 1st Lieutenant Tom Moore said the initiative is a great way to educate residents in understanding what an ember attack is and how they can protect their house.
Brigade members will be based at the Wye River General Store on Saturday, 11 October for their Get Fire Ready event, before opening their doors again on Saturday, 1 November for their annual community awareness forum.
As a thriving summer tourist town, the biggest challenge for the brigade is communicating with holiday goers renting houses, residing in the caravan park, or those driving in for the day.
"While we try to engage with property owners and real estate agents, it's those who are here for one or two weeks at a time, or even for a day who are oblivious to the risks," Andrew said.
"We understand people don't want their holiday to be impacted, but on those stinking hot days with strong winds, this is not the place to be.
"Keep an eye on the simple signposting along the Great Ocean Road on your travels."
Tom said it is important everyone stays informed via the VicEmergency App and listens to the local ABC. Reaching out to your neighbours is another valuable source of information.
"For the period of time you're coming down for a holiday, we ask you check the weather forecast in advance and see where the alerts and concerns are," Tom said.
"We have a lot of people moving into town who think the first thing they should do is head to the beach – but that is not where you want to be during a bushfire emergency."
As a buffer between the firefighters and the community in the event of a big fire, the brigade has also created a community volunteer program, where members help with traffic control, disseminating information, and assisting the elderly, young people and those with pets.
"There's lot of ways to get people involved other than jumping on the back of a truck, and they're a really pivotal part of our response and a major help to us out on the fireground," Andrew said.
