Ballarat and Sebastopol Fire Brigades, in consultation with Ballarat City Council, recently undertook a hazard reduction burn at the picturesque Lake Esmond in Canadian, a locality of Ballarat.
"We keep getting calls to this address for fires in the reeds when people set off fireworks," explains Captain Mark Cartledge. "We don't want it getting out of hand one day, so we'll safely burn it."
During the day, members also walked the banks of the lake, looking for areas that may have had birds nesting. These areas were marked off and left alone.
This burn will reduce the fuel load surrounding the lake, as well as provide a buffer to the neighbouring bushland and houses.
It also gave a number of new recruits from both brigades some first hand knowledge in safely undertaking and blacking out a hazard reduction burn.
Pictures by Blair Dellemijn - CFA Photographer
Author: Blair Dellemijn