An intense fire season is being predicted for the west of the state following a wet winter.
A 2016 Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre outlook predicts forested areas west of Melbourne will dry out in late spring because of above-average rainfall predicted for September and October, and a high probability of above-average temperatures.
“This could see rapidly escalating fire behaviour later in summer,” the outlook report states.
Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) commissioner Craig Lapsley said fire preparedness would need to focus on western and central Victoria, including the urban interface areas.
He said while the fire season was not likely to start until December, the EMV expected any fires to be more intense and spread faster.
“Even when you’ve done cutting your grass in spring, there could be regrowth because of higher than average rainfall,” Mr Lapsley said.
“What they do in late October and November, they should also do in late December and January.”
The warning comes as Brimbank Park remains a “high bushfire risk location” in Melbourne.
The park was mentioned by six government agencies in their combined submission to a public hearing for bushfire preparedness last week.
The agencies say the park “has a risk of grass fire as vegetation dries out over summer”.
Parks Victoria told Star Weekly the park’s risk rating remained unchanged, but they were “well prepared for this summer”.
“Parks Victoria has an annual program of slashing long grass along selected trails and fence lines and maintaining fuel breaks within Brimbank Park,” PV spokesman Gareth Rees said.
“Rangers regularly patrol fuel breaks in the summer season.”
The next planned burn at the park is scheduled for the summer of 2018-19.
A source close to a CFA station in Brimbank did not believe there had been any fires at the park since January 2013 when Brimbank crime investigation unit detectives investigated several suspected arson attacks.
The park will be closed if a fire risk is declared Code Red but will remain open on total fire ban days.
