Successful planned burns despite widespread rainfall

Candling at Selby in early December 2022. Photo by Joshua Hodges

 

Although floods have been at the forefront of our minds recently, fire remains a significant risk in the Dandenong Ranges.

 

The Dandenongs area is both densely forested and densely populated, making it a priority for fuel reduction to reduce bushfire risk. 

Despite heavy rain in the area, local brigades with support from the District Vegetation Management team successfully conducted three planned burns in Kalorama, Selby and Emerald.

These planned burns will reduce the risk to property, telecommunications infrastructure, informal evacuation areas and an important water supply for southern Melbourne.

The burns used a method called ‘candling’, which is where the bark of stringybark trees is burnt off to reduce the number of embers and likelihood of short distance spotting in a bushfire.

This low-intensity treatment only burns off the outer layer of dry bark without harming the tree. 

The District 13 Vegetation Management team would like to thank the volunteers who attended these burns. We would also like to thank Melbourne Water and Yarra Ranges Council. Without their support the burns would not have been possible.

 

Submitted by	Joshua Hodges