CFA brigades from across Alexandra Group in District 12 North East Region joined crews from Forest Fire Management (FFMVic) to conduct the first FFMVic Murrindindi district planned burn of the season on Sunday 2 April.
The Rubicon Gravel Pit Planned Burn has been in the planning phase for several years and yesterday’s successful ignition of the 570 hectare burn was the culmination of several years work by the FFMVic Murrindindi planning team.
CFA Crews from Eildon, Acheron, Thornton and Taggerty as well as the Alexandra Group Officer Len Timmons attended the Planned Burn.
Len Timmins Alexandra Group Officer said, “Today was a great example of CFA and FFMVic working together as one to protect the community.”
CFA and FFMVic ground crews were involved in suppression activities and drip torch perimeter ignition whilst FFMVic utilized Fire-Bird 311 with an aerial drip torch to ignite the interior of the burn area.
Mitch Emmett CFA’s District 12 Planned Burn Resource Coordinator said, “It was fantastic to have such a great response to my requests for CFA crews to assist at this burn. It was rewarding to see the seamless integration of CFA and FFMVic crews. I am sure the members that attended gained some valuable experience and built upon their groups capacity to conduct planned burning”.
For more information on planned burning please contact your district vegetation management officer (VMO) or go to the CFA member’s intranet, cfa Online, and follow the links to Community & Risk, Planned Burning.
Author: Planned Burning Project