IN THE LINE OF FIRE
TOWNSVILLE REGION PUT ON HIGH ALERT
IDEAL bushfire conditions across the North have forced firefighters to put the region on high alert.
After Townsville homes were threatened to the north and west of the city this week, the Rural Fire Service has identified several areas considered at high risk this bushfire season.
LARGE areas of the Townsville region are at high risk of going up in flames as firefighters warn this bushfire season is looming as one of the worst in recent memory.
Rangewood Rural Fire Brigade first officer Jim Besgrove said the drought- breaking rain that fell earlier this year created a surge in vegetation growth but dry conditions since had seen that flora die off and become fuel for bushfire.
“The fires we’ve seen recently are rolling through dry vegetation very quickly,” Mr Besgrove said.
“These have been intense fires in particularly challenging conditions.
“It is fair to say that more than half of Townsville is at a high risk ( to bushfire) … this fire season will go until we get significant rains and we are preparing for it to run right up to Christmas.”
Firefighters have foreseen the danger of this season and have been working to minimise risk but many areas remain of serious concern.
Herveys Range has already been impacted and tops the list of at- risk locations. Bluewater, Yabulu and Cape Cleveland were among the many rural areas in danger.
Closer to the city, Mr Besgrove said Mount Louisa, Wulguru and Mount Stuart were the most densely populated areas that had been identified as bushfire hot spots.
“Mount Louisa has always been a risk area and if you go back to 2009 ( that) is the last time we had real significant fires all over Townsville,” Mr Besgrove said.
“That was an area that we had large- scale wildfires in the weeks leading up to Christmas.”
Despite a challenging start to the fire season with kilometres of bushland ripped through by fire, crews battling the blazes had managed to protect people and properties.
Only one unused shed was lost to fire last week.
“In our scheme of things, protecting life is number one, protecting property is number two, and then protecting vegetation and pastures is number three,” Mr Besgrove said.
“Amongst all that is the paramount welfare of our firefighters on the ground.”
Homes were under threat in Bluewater overnight.
At least a dozen firefighting crews worked to protect houses along Blue Mountains Drive with several homeowners leaving their properties.
A helicopter was used to water bomb the blaze which began moving rapidly yesterday afternoon.
This was the same bushfire that investigators believed was suspiciously lit in Lynam on Sunday.