According to the Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2023, released by the Australasian Fire Authorities Council, South Australians can this year expect an earlier than usual start to the fire danger season.

Alison May, Director Community Risk and Resilience at the Country Fire Service (CFS), said although the winter months had been wet, the forecast was for a hot and dry spring which increased the risk of fire.

“We are asking people – as we do ahead of every fire season – to be prepared," Ms May said.

“Given there is a chance this season will start earlier than in previous years, and if we take lessons from the Northern Hemisphere with what’s happened in Canada, throughout Portugal and Spain, Greece, Hawaii, there is extra importance on preparing and being mindful of what can happen if we do have a bad fire season.

“We would say to people, start preparing now, rather than putting it off as something you do when the hot weather hits in November.”

Ms May offered some tips for people to prepare their properties ahead of the upcoming bushfire season:

Clear fuel loads

Clear flammable vegetation or combustible growth from around properties and structures, or even consider installing an irrigation system.

Gutters should be cleared of leaves and any other matter, and any branches overhanging roofs should be trimmed.

“We’ve certainly seen a large number of structure fires in recent years, so it’s important to clear the vegetation around them,” Ms May said.

Protect your home and property from ember attacks

Many people may not know that most houses lost during bushfires are caused by flammable embers blowing up to 2km in the wind.

“Embers could get into your roof through any gap, like in roof tiling, up under eaves, into gutters, onto decking, under verandahs, or even an air vent into your roof cavity,” Ms May said.

“If an ember gets in, you’re going to have your house burning from the inside out for a long time before you even know about it.

“We caution people to make sure all those possible, imaginable gaps where a small ember could get in are really sealed off. Also make sure decking and verandahs are free of pet beds or boxes, anything where an ember might land and start a fire.”

Get more advice if you need it

Local councils have Fire Prevention Officers who can offer information and advice, including about understanding where the line is between landholder obligations to prepare for bushfire season and the council’s lay. Check your council’s website for details.

Ms May also recommended visiting the CFS website which has advice for businesses, schools, homeowners, farmers, and every category in between.

“The website has plenty of information, fact sheets, and guides on everything from how to manage livestock and smaller pets, through to things like the risks mature trees do or don’t pose,” she said.

The CFS website also has a community engagement calendar, showing when forums will be held in different regions around the state, where people can get face-to-face information on things like writing or updating their bushfire survival plans.

Know your risk rating

Not everyone who lives in a bushfire risk zone knows it. Urban expansion into areas like the Adelaide Hills means people may feel like they’re in the middle of a suburb but they’re actually in a bushfire danger zone.

“More than half of people who live in a bushfire risk zone don’t realise it, or maybe they don’t know their risk category,” Ms May said.

“For a start, we’d ask everyone to just double-check their area.”

Even if you live in a metropolitan area, it pays to be thinking about risks bushfires may pose to you – particularly with the threat of ember attacks.

Help others

If you have family or friends who live in a bushfire risk zone, check to see if they need help to be prepared.

“Particularly if you have vulnerable family members or older family members in an area like the Adelaide Hills or another bushfire risk area, we encourage people to have those conversations about survival,” Ms May said.

Download the Alert SA app

The Alert SA Mobile App provides timely, relevant bushfire information to the South Australian community for the bushfire season. To download Alert SA, or learn more about the app, visit www.alert.sa.gov.au

Fire danger season dates for 2023/24 are expected to be announced by the CFS by the end of September.