It is quite a few years ago now that I stood on the high point of Mt Blowhard, near Hotham, and watched the Dargo High Plains burning (yet again). That led me on my ‘firefighting journey’ – I went back home and joined the CFA. In the years since then I have seen the reality of more frequent fires in the mountains and the fact that sometimes we don’t have enough firefighters to stop small lightning strike fires from turning into mega blazes.

One example – a couple of lightning strikes near Mt Tabletop on December 31, 2019 (during the Black Summer) were not able to be stopped. They grew into a fire of more than 40,000 ha that threatened the township of Dinner Plain twice and homes in the Cobungra valley.

That’s where this idea came from – an additional force of remote area firefighters who can be tasked with assisting the wonderful state government firefighters employed by FFMV.

The proposal will be discussed during a free online forum being hosted on Thursday December 14 at 7pm.

A range of speakers will consider how climate change is driving longer and more intense fire seasons in Victoria, and what we can do to respond.

Speakers include

  • Sarah Harris, Manager Research and Development, Fire Risk, Research and Community Preparedness (CFA)
  • Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth campaign coordinator and CFA volunteer
  • Jordan Crook, Victorian National Parks Association

You can find out more and register here.

Hosted by Friends of the Earth.