Firefighters are facing an anomaly which could extend throughout the summer season and hamper firefighting efforts.
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The amount of rain that’s fallen throughout winter and spring has left firefighters, on numerous occasions, just out of reach of the area they need to access to contain fires. Fire trucks have even become bogged during firefighting efforts, in muddy areas that are normally easily accessible.
Queanbeyan rural firefighters have had to quickly change their strategy in how to best manage blazes.
While unusual to have a major fire situation during the colder months, frost-burned grass does pose a risk and it is this that has caused four large grass fires in the four months since May.
A fire that broke out in the middle of the Queanbeyan racecourse on Friday, September 16, highlighted the issues firefighters are facing and will continue to face over summer. NSW Fire and Rescue was initially called to the fire, but sent for backup in the form of NSW Rural Fire Service, who are more prone to dealing with grass fires of a similar nature.
NSW Rural Fire Service Lake George Zone membership services officer Darren Marks said on their arrival at the scene about 7pm, they discovered the area burning was well inside the racecourse.
“Unfortunately, due to the amount of rain we had they were unable to approach it without getting bogged,” he said. The subsequent activity took five hours, five firetrucks and 22 firefighters.
“They did a backburning operation to contain the fire, which is unusual from this point in time,” Mr Marks said.
“This year there would be a risk that we will not be able to chase grass fires in the ways we have previously.
“What tends to happen is that in the hollows in the gully moisture will remain. When fighting a major bushfire, assuming the grass does dry out which it should at some point, and even if it’s hot and dry for some months, there will still be those [inaccessible] gullies.”
Mr Marks said boggy conditions were likely to change fire fighting strategies. As of October 1, landholders require a permit before they burn in the open.