Campers ignore bushfire warnings
Irresponsible campers are putting lives at risk by leaving campfires unattended and lighting fires on Total Fire Ban daysAccording to Parks Victoria, almost 50 unattended campfires in total have had to be put out by fire services throughout the state during the Christmas and New Year period.
“This type of behaviour is unacceptable and dangerous to the community,” said David Nugent from the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment.
“People need to make sure they put campfires out properly. Campfires can smoulder for weeks if they’re not extinguished properly and can then flare up on a hot, windy day.”
About 10 per cent of fires in Victoria’s parks and forests are started by campfire escapes, according to Nugent. On January 4, a day of Total Fire Ban which meant no fires were permitted in the open air, he said “officers patrolling state forest areas in Gippsland had to extinguish more than 20 campfires”.
“This was on a day when temperatures were over 40 degrees everywhere and the risk of bushfire to individuals and communities was well publicised,” he said.
Even when there is not a Total Fire Ban, he said campfires should never be left unattended and should be fully extinguished with water before leaving, until they are cool to touch.
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