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Planned burn at Lakins Road, Mansfield
On the back of a busy grassfire season, Districts 12 and 23 have begun their planned burning programs in Kinglake West and Mansfield with assistance from the statewide Planned Burn Task Force.
The burns reduced fuel to reduce the speed and intensity of bushfires. In Kinglake West, the burns also aimed to ensure safe evacuation of residents in the event of a bushfire by decreasing the amount of radiant heat affecting cars along Whittlesea-Kinglake Road and Burtons Road.
The burns were safely delivered and met their objectives of reducing the overall fuel hazard to low across the treated area.
Mansfield Captain Andrew Peachey informed crews that this was just the beginning for the Mansfield brigade, with burns planned to occur on a four to five-year rotation around the township.
Residents in both Kinglake West and Mansfield were thrilled with the work conducted by CFA Firefighters, noting that the areas had been a cause of concern for some time.
The site treated in Kinglake West is also home to the critically endangered round leaf Pomaderris (Pomaderris vacciniifolia) which is likely to benefit from the burn with heat from the fire cracking the seeds and allowing germination to occur.
CFA's Vegetation Management team will closely monitor the site over the coming months to document germination of the native shrub to better understand how this rare species responds to planned burning.
The District 12 and 23 Vegetation Management team (VMO Mitch Emmett and VMSO Joshua Hodges) would like to thank the district operations staff for their support and all the brigades and volunteers who attended these burns, particularly members of the Planned Burn Task Force.
| Submitted by |
Joshua Hodges |