A fire pit used to burn household rubbish has been blamed for a bushfire that destroyed two homes and scorched 1,200 hectares on Tasmania’s east coast earlier this month.
Tasmania Fire Service investigators found burning material escaped from the pit at Dianas Basin on the afternoon of December 9.
Flames quickly spread through Dianas Basin, Parkside, Parnella and Stieglitz, destroying two houses near St Helens.
TFS fire investigator Tim McKay described the incident as “very disappointing”, saying it should “serve as a reminder for people to exercise extreme care when using fire”.
“Tasmania, while beautiful, is fire-prone,” he said.
“With the bushfire season well and truly here, any unplanned fire in our landscape may be difficult to control and has the potential for devastating outcomes.”
“One spark in the wrong place at the wrong time is all it takes to put lives and property at risk.”
Crews from the Tasmania Fire Service, volunteer brigades, Parks and Wildlife, Sustainable Timber Tasmania and the SES worked for days to contain the blaze.
Mr McKay said the TFS uses a “rapid weight of attack” strategy to hit vegetation fires hard and early.
“But we also rely on the community to play their part by using fire responsibly, reporting any new fires early by calling Triple Zero (000) and ensuring that they have a bushfire plan,” he said.
A fire permit period is now in effect across Tasmania.
The cause of the nearby Dolphin Sands bushfire, which ignited days before the St Helens blaze, is yet to be determined.
