Chief Fire Officer Stephen Sewell regarding bushfire outlook

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We know that a bumper wet season, it's increased the
bushfire isks across parts of the Northern territory. That's according
to the latest seasonal bushfire Outlook. Now authorities say that
Central Australia faces an elevated threat later this year, with
large areas of grass expected to dry out and create
significant fuel loads around Alice Springs, Tenant Creek and the

(00:22):
Barkley and Tanamie regions. Now joining me on the show
from Tenant Creek, as I understand it is the Chief
Fire Officer, Stephen Seul. Good morning to you, Steve Nay. Yeah,
really good, good to have you on the show. You're
coming to us live from Tenant this morning, are you.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yep. So we're down here doing a seasonal outlook and
a community engagement forum the community and made stakeholders.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Stephen tell me, I mean we've had such like we'll
talk about Tenant Creek first in Central Australia. I think first,
because you know, we know that there is always a
pretty difficult sort of fire season. I guess in those areas.
What's the outlook telling us for this year?

Speaker 3 (01:10):
Well, obviously that's just been released from APAC and that
can be viewed by everyone the Internet. But we have
the window of opportunity now to get some mitigations in
place and make sure that things are in line come
September when we'll get to the pointing end.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Of the stick.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
What kind of things are being done in the likes
of ten and in the likes of Central Australia to
really mitigate those risks because last year it was a
big one, wasn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Actually twenty three always bigger, yep, yeah, So time goes
quickly the enemy. So yeah, but we have the greatest
risk as it is like the same up there for
the top end and in Darwin, our greatest threat is
obviously wildfire entering the community landscape. So we just have

(02:07):
a small responsibility around the town. Actually in Tent Creek
it's quite large, so the amount of area, so yeah,
but we have that risk that comes right into our
ra so our emergency response area, and that's where these
wildfires can interact with all of our structures, whether they
be businesses or residential home So we just really make

(02:30):
sure that we work with all the people the Council
be Alive, with Crown Lands and the management of that
to make sure that people have got firebreaks in place,
and they're also looking after their property as well, because
it's no good if it burns through slowly and we're
expecting this firebreak to potentially pull a fire raft with

(02:52):
rating peat or an mber attack that it just incinerates
like someone's home or displaces people or closes businesses. So
we try to work proactively all year round to make
sure that people have good housekeeping, make sure that people
have a plan, make sure that people follow their own

(03:14):
mitigations that they're responsible for because they are the landowner.
We rely on them to do their business so that
we can do ours. So we're in this together, basically,
is the stance that we take, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Which I think is the way we've got a view,
because you know, there'd be nothing worse if you lived
on a block of land and you've done everything you
can to, you know, to make sure that you mitigate
those risks, but your neighbor hasn't. I guess it's you know,
it's hard, but everybody does need to, you know, to
pitch into some degree, don't they.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's correct, And it's just relying on everyone to do
their thing. And you look at say one resident in
a built up area, and they have several neighbors that
connect to their property, so once it gets into their property,
that's that's it. Like it's potentially reduced access for us,

(04:06):
and it is the chance of fire spread and what
happened in California, say is quite quite high because like
we're seeing now in suburbs that you know, it's practically
gutter to gutter now in people's residents.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
So with this report that's you know that's been released
that obviously looks at the seasonal bushfire outlook, it points
to that increased risk for parts of Central Australia later
this year. What's sort of driving that additional concern? Is
it because we've got such a big wet season right
across the NT.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Yeah, like the land hasn't changed. I mean, we can't
control the weather, we can't control the landscape. But what
we can control is like how people manage the fuel loads.
So and that's what we seek to address is just
those fuel loads managed so that there is a safe
suffer to protect the community.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
So that it.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
Seems simple, but just to coordinate and get everyone on
board so that people are maintaining all year round is
a mapp cast.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
Steve One of my friends had sent me a message
last week. He was helping somebody out on their block
of land and there was gamber grass like you know,
it was so high, and he said that, you know,
following on from a big wheat season, there was a
lot of it out in the rural area up here
in the top end. How concerning is that and how
important you know, in that discussion that you've just been

(05:40):
having about people maintaining their blocks. How big an impact
does that gamba and some of that other you know
weed have when you're fighting fires here in the top end.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
That weed in particular is that it burns a lot hotter,
so it's a lot more intense fire, and fire moves
a lot more rapidly through the landscape, so it's a
big concern for firefighters. And it's obviously because of the
height of it as well, like a standard for me
to break is not sufficient. And when that's driven by wind,

(06:16):
that all the embers everything like that will carry. So
there's mixture, pandanus and all that through there as well,
and those things go up and travel, so we'll see
spotting of fires, you know, up to two hundred meters
away from where the actual firefront.

Speaker 1 (06:33):
Is so Steve, really, what is your message for everybody
across the territory today, you know, in terms of getting
prepared for that fire season.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
We're in this together. So if you don't think that
you've got a role to play, then you are seriously mistaken.
So prepare, prepare early, make sure that you have a
plan in place, and make sure that you're keeping your
neighbors or whoever responsible as well for mitigating their parcels land.

(07:08):
So if you're the owner of the property, you are responsible.

Speaker 1 (07:12):
Well. Stephen Saul, the Chief Fire Officer for the Northern Territory,
really good to catch up with you this morning. I
appreciate your time.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
Thank you Katie, and thank you listeners. And we look
forward to having uneventful season.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah, let's hope. So hey, good on your stay.

Speaker 3 (07:28):
Last cracka Day is coming up, so for people to
have fun as well. Make sure that people have plans
in place, yep. And make sure that people operate their
fireworks correctly and supervise their children so we don't want
to see the little ones get injured.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
Absolutely well, I reckon, we'll try and catch up with
you before cracka Day so we can make sure that
we can give people a good rundown of what they
need to do to stay safe. Good to speak with
you this morning, Steve and I appreciate.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
It, all right, Katie, thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
Thanks so much,