Tasmanians on the east coast, the Northeast and the Furneaux Islands are expected to face the greatest bushfire risk this summer, with the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) warning of a warmer and drier season ahead.
TFS Acting Regional Chief Keir Wilson said the long-range forecast was yet to be released, but the service expected summer to follow a drier and warmer spring.
“Midlands is always a risk,” he said.
“Whilst we are expecting those areas to be the greatest risk, we just can’t predict where they will be and there’s a potential statewide for fires.”
He said the east coast was “extremely dry”. Recent rain had not lasted long enough to soak deep into the soil.
The fire permit period began early last Thursday, with landowners needing a permit to burn anything larger than a cubic metre.
Wilson said 15 aircraft were coming into the state under national aerial firefighting agreements and the service had boosted its remote area team capability.
He said the biggest mistake people made was not having a plan and “making decisions on the run”.
“We just can’t have a fire truck at every home,” he said.
Wilson urged people to clear flammable vegetation at least 30 metres from their homes, clean out gutters and leave early if a fire threatens.
He said volunteer numbers had held steady despite other organisations struggling to keep members.
Fire Management Minister Felix Ellis said fire agencies had completed 44 fuel reduction burns in strategic locations.
“Tasmania is one of the most bushfire prone places on earth already,” he said.
He said artificial intelligence fire tower cameras now covered about one million hectares of bush.
The comments came at the launch of the state’s “Bushfire, Why Risk It? Be Prepared. Be Aware.” campaign.
Two new guides, Bushfire Ready Gardens and Bushfire Ready Homes, have been jointly funded by the federal government’s Disaster Ready Fund and the TFS.
Federal Braddon MP Anne Urquhart said “the best time to prepare for a bushfire is before the season starts”.
Tasmanians are urged to download the TasALERT app and make a bushfire plan at bushfire.tas.gov.au.
