Bushfire

Things you can do to protect your property

Burning embers can blow far ahead of the fire front. Many homes catch fire when embers blow into spaces and cracks, gutters and eaves, or set fire to flammable material close to the house. 

Simple things to do regularly during bushfire season

• Keep grass short around the property.

• Prune shrubs so they are not too dense.

• Clean gutters.

• Move wood, mulch or any flammable material well away from the house.

Be prepared to move all flammable outside equipment, doormats, furniture etc. either inside or away from the house when a bushfire threatens.

More lasting protection to consider

• Use non-flammable materials such as pebbles or gravel (not woodchips or bark) close to the home.

• Relocate gas bottles away from the fire-prone side of the building and turn gas release valves to face away from the building.

• Timber decks – seal up small gaps and screen larger under-deck areas with non-flammable screens.

• Install metal fly wire mesh on all windows and vents, and install a protective screen to stop embers from getting into air conditioner units.

• Block any gaps under floor, in roof spaces, under eaves, external walls, skylights, around windows and doors, chimneys and wall cladding.

Additional rural property protection

• Locate dams, orchards, vegetable gardens and effluent disposal areas on the fire-prone side of the home.

• Make sure fire trucks can enter and turn around on your property.

• Check bridge and cattle grid load limits for fire truck access.

• Create firebreaks along paddock boundaries.

• Store petrol and gas safely away in a shed.

• Install diesel-powered underground water pumps that lead from dams to the house.

• Create a bare earth firebreak along the boundary of your property.

• If fire threatens, move livestock to a well-grazed or ploughed paddock.

For more information, download the Tasmania Fire Service's Bushfire Safety Guide and Bushfire Plan(PDF, 10MB) and visit the Tasmania Fire Service website.

The aim of fuel reduction burning is to reduce existing fire hazards, protect property and other assets, protect flora and fauna and their habitats, and assist in the regeneration of degraded bushland and control weeds. 

Fuel reduction burns across Tasmanian can be viewed on the 'What's Burning Now?' Tasmania Fire Service website.

The City of Launceston continues to undertake fuel reduction burns as part of its (PDF, 61MB)Bushfire Management Strategy(PDF, 61MB) .

For burning operations, every adjacent neighbour to a reserve will be notified of the planned burn. Additionally, other landowners, schools or businesses who may be affected in the nearby vicinity will also be notified. Signage will be placed in reserves ahead of fuel management actions as well as advertisements in the local newspaper.

Detailed operational plans have been prepared for each burn including risk assessments, smoke modelling and dispersion.

Operations are expected to take one day. While fire intensity is expected to be low, the burn will generate flames, smoke and ash which may persist until the next rainfall event.  

Fuel reduction burns will only be carried out on days when weather conditions are considered suitable meaning the decision to burn is made on a day to day basis. Notifications of scheduled burns will be updated the Tasmania Fire Service website.

Public access to fuel reduction burn areas will be restricted. The public are asked to remain well out of the burn area while the burn is taking place and for the following days until safety checks have been made along tracks and trails. Please comply with directions from staff or any signs if you are in the area.

People with medical conditions are advised to have a personal plan for avoiding smoke from fuel reduction burns. Advice is available from the Department of Health and Human Services website or Asthma Foundation of Tasmania's website

Bushfire Management Strategy for Council Owned and Managed Land 2015-2025

The Bushfire Management Strategy(PDF, 61MB) describes the approach to managing bushfire risk for land managed by the City of Launceston. 

The timing of this strategy follows a number of significant wildfire events in Tasmania and Victoria in recent years that have led to a review and publication of updated policies and procedures for wildfire prevention, safety and control. Additionally the most recent climate change modelling predicts a worsening in the fire season for this region. This strategy will assist Council’s preparedness for a likely increased frequency of severe fire events.

This document sets out the City of Launceston’s strategic approach to fire management of the reserves. It describes the context for fire management of the reserves which are largely in an urban setting, relationships to state-wide fire management systems, procedures and initiatives, and other Council plans and programs.

Fire Management Objectives 

•1. Manage fuel loads across the reserves in order to

- reduce the intensity of unplanned burns

- reduce the likelihood of a burn entering a reserve causing catastrophic damage

- increase the opportunities for control of any unplanned burn within a reserve

- protect physical and cultural assets in the Reserves, and reduce the risk of uncontrollable

fire to adjacent properties

- maintain or improve the visitor experience and visitor safety of Council Reserves

•2. Maintain or improve biodiversity within the reserve through a mosaic of burning areas and intensities.

•3. Reduce weed problems within reserves through burning with pre burn and follow up treatment.

•4. Ensure fire infrastructure enables access for effective fuel management and wildfire control

•5. Identify and facilitate operational efficiencies and cross tenure infrastructure and vegetation management

•6. Work cooperatively with other fire fighting agencies, ensuring that the management and suppression of fires is undertaken safely, efficiently and cost effectively.

•7. Record and manage appropriate fire management data about each reserve in an easily accessible format for improved planning, management and incident response.

•8. Community and stakeholder engagement in the fire management planning process

•9. Improve the communities understanding of fire hazards and actions to remove hazards and reduce the fire risk.

Please contact us for more information.