Firefighters remind landowners of pile burn protocols

WITH the weather finally drying out a bit, the Rural Fire Service has received requests to assist with routine pile burns and asks that landowners proceed responsibly.

Although winter is not considered part of the “fire danger season”, local firefighters appreciate being notified of all burn-offs.

“Pile-burners do still need to notify the RFS, as well as their neighbours, even outside of Fire Danger Season,” Pindimar/Tea Gardens RFS Deputy Captain Ralph Clark told News Of The Area.

The law requires that all residents who adjoin the site of a pile burn are notified at least 24 hours in advance (unless otherwise specified in the fire permit).

A pile burn that already has a team of trained firefighters monitoring it, with trucks loaded with water and tools, can head off unnecessary Triple Zero (000) calls.

Volunteers with the RFS are trained on the use of the drip-torch, a simple yet effective tool that allows a controlled drip or stream of accelerant and is much safer than dousing and lighting.

Even in fine and calm weather, RFS volunteer Steve Carmichael warns that “Mother Nature sometimes does not want to co-operate.”

Once a pile burn starts, the property owner must monitor it until it burns out properly or is extinguished correctly.

Fire can take hold deep within the pile, and is sometimes only betrayed by a faint orange glow.

According to RFS official standards, pile burns should adhere to specific size limits, namely 2m x 2m, and be no more than 1.5m high.

They should be located on flat ground with minimum distances from other structures or trees, and have minimum diameters for cut and stacked logs.

Other conditions can be found by searching the RFS website for “Standards for Pile Burning”, which was last updated in 2024.

It was an illegal pile burn that caused the March 2024 bushfire along Warri Street, which came dangerously close to South Pindimar village, and cut off access and communications.

By Thomas O’KEEFE