Bushfire season looms

Cooktown residents prepare for the worst

WORRIED Cooktown residents have already started early preparations for the bushfire season after one of their worst years on record.

Mayor Peter Scott said it was “very, very lucky” that no one lost their home or was injured as the fires repeatedly ripped through the populated Endeavour Valley area.

While the Far North is still several months out from the bushfire season, authorities are urging property owners to get ready.

Mr Scott said there was now heightened awareness from residents in the affected areas, but he was concerned there could be a repeat of the danger this year.

“We’ve had a lot of rain so there will be a lot of fuel around the place,” he said.

“I know people up the valley are taking their fire breaks much more seriously.”

Rural Fire Service regional manager Lawrence Laing said it was probably too early to say how bad the season may be, but hoped the threat would be less than 2016.

The Koah and Speewah areas suffered significant damage, while the Millstream area near Ravenshoe was again a hotspot.

“We’ve got agencies out there now doing fire reduction burns,” he said.

“We had a fair bit of fire last year, so it would have reduced the kindling.”

He urged people living in fire-prone areas, particularly on the Tablelands west of Mareeba and Atherton, to start developing their bushfire plans.

He said Cooktown had been dealt “one of the biggest seasons they’ve ever had” and they were already looking at mitigation strategies to avoid a repeat this year.

Mr Scott said testing was also under way on the town’s fire station to see if it was cyclone rated which would allow emergency service staff and vehicles to be sent there early for weather events.