As firefighters continue to battle multiple bushfires still burning in the Central Highlands, locals are being reminded to stay vigilant.
Several fires ignited in the area ahead of extreme fire danger forecasts last week, with Tasmania Police investigating the cause of at least two of them as suspicious.
“Over the weekend firefighters have done a lot of work in the Osterley and Bradys Lake area and it’s important for us to get on top of these as much as possible now before we hit higher fire danger weather later this week,” Incident Controller Mark Klop said.
“The fire at Osterley, down into Ouse, is quite challenging due to the terrain and crews are using machinery to construct some fire breaks to help them gain access to the area.”
While several fires have been brought within containment lines this morning, ‘Watch and Act’ warnings remain in place for Central Highlands and surrounding areas, as well as Dee, Bradys Lake and Tarraleah.
“Our plan is to consolidate the boundaries of the fires as much as possible before that weather comes through on Wednesday,” Klop said.
“As well as our ground crews, we have Remote Area Firefighters and our aerial resources working to control the fires.”
Klop urged not only those in the Highlands but also residents across the state to remain vigilant and exercise caution.
“Please avoid any fire in the landscape, it’s extremely dry out there and take extra care if you are using any kind of machinery or apparatus that can cause sparks,” he said.
Tasmania Police Commander Jason Elmer last week said deliberately lighting fires was “appalling”.
“If anyone saw anything suspicious in the area on Wednesday, whether it was a person or a vehicle, we ask that you share that information with us,” he said.
“An active investigation is underway and we have some experienced detectives who are leading that investigation and will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to apprehend whoever is responsible.”
Anyone with information should contact Bridgewater CIB on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at crimestopperstas.com.au.
