Fire exercise helps inform community

A special community bushfire exercise will be held at Noojee on Sunday, November 29.

Noojee Fire Brigade has organised the event in conjunction with Baw Baw Shire, Victoria Police and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. It will be held at the Noojee Primary School from 9.30am until 12.30pm.

It is a new initiative by the Country Fire Authority and follows on from the success of a similar event held at Lavers Hill last year.

The event is different to a general preseason fire information session because of its interactive nature.

The interactive forum has been specifically developed for Noojee and its surrounding area.

The day will cover how the local road network affects planning in the case of fire, how the terrain and vegetation that surrounds Noojee affects fire behaviour and what ratings and warnings mean. The forum also will include fire history and what can be done to prepare properties and families and develop fire action plans.

The day will also include two fire scenarios to demonstrate fire intensity, rate of spread and damage on a low fire danger day compared to a day of severe or extreme danger.

There will be live fire demonstrations to show how different vegetation burns and how things like slope affect the speed of its spread. Residents of Noojee, Loch Valley, Icy Creek, Vesper, Neerim North, Neerim Junction and Piedmont are invited to attend.

Noojee CFA volunteer Colin Booth said it was an opportunity for community members to come together and better understand bushfire and how it affects everyone. “The outcome will give you the tools to prepare yourself and your property threat of bushfire,” he said.

People can register at www.Noojee CFA.com or SMS 0427 139 275.