Key Takeaways:
- Residents of Dolphin Sands, a town in east coast Tasmania, are frustrated with the lack of action to reduce bushfire risk from registered fires.
- The town has experienced several bushfires in recent years, including a recent one that destroyed 19 homes and damaged dozens more.
- Residents have been warning authorities about the risks of planned burns escaping and causing out-of-control bushfires, but no policy changes have been made.
- The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) has stated that a blanket ban on lighting fires is not considered reasonable, but is open to working with the community to develop a bushfire plan.
- Residents are calling for stricter regulations and a ban on lighting fires in the region, citing the high risk of bushfires due to the area’s fire-prone environment.
Introduction to the Issue
The recent bushfire that destroyed 19 homes and damaged dozens more in the east coast Tasmanian town of Dolphin Sands has highlighted the need for action to reduce bushfire risk from registered fires. Residents have expressed frustration at the lack of action taken by authorities to address the issue, despite warnings and calls for tighter restrictions in the fire-prone community. The town has experienced several bushfires in recent years, including incidents in 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, before the fire this month.
History of Warnings and Calls for Action
Residents of Dolphin Sands have been warning authorities about the risks of planned burns escaping and causing out-of-control bushfires for years. In letters seen by the ABC, two residents warned the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) and the state government in 2019, 2021, and 2024 about the risks of planned burns escaping. Stevie Davenport, who has lived in the community for 34 years, wrote in a 2021 letter that she felt only TFS-controlled burn-offs should be permitted. She pleaded with the TFS to ban fires at Dolphin Sands, unless undertaken as fuel reduction burns, under appropriate conditions, by the TFS. Another resident, Jenny Topfer, wrote to the TFS and Fire and Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis in February last year, calling for stricter regulations and warning that the Dolphin Sands environment put it at particular risk.
Causes of Bushfires in the Region
According to Ms. Davenport, who has been collecting bushfire records since 2009, planned burns triggered more than half of the bushfires in the Dolphin Sands region. A further 26% were caused by machinery. The TFS confirms that around 50% of fires in the region come from an ignition source "like a burn-off" or machinery. The region’s fire-prone environment, with highly flammable vegetation, dry, sandy soils, and strong winds, contributes to the high risk of bushfires. Ms. Davenport attributes the trend to the region’s environment and notes that while most people conducting planned burns are trying to reduce bushfire fuel loads, there are ways to do so that do not require fire.
Response from Authorities
The TFS has stated that a blanket ban on lighting fires is not considered reasonable, as fire has a range of legitimate uses in Tasmania, and the TFS is aware of many instances where fires have been safely managed without incident in Dolphin Sands and other places. However, the TFS is working to improve community education on the safe use of fire and the legal responsibilities of people who light fires. Tasmania Fire Service Commissioner Jeremy Smith said the TFS hoped to "co-design" a bushfire plan with the Dolphin Sands community and that further fire lighting restrictions could be considered. Deputy Premier of Tasmania Guy Barnett also said "there would be learnings" from the recent fire.
Community Reaction and Calls for Change
Residents are calling for stricter regulations and a ban on lighting fires in the region. Ms. Davenport said she would now be calling for a year-round ban on lighting fires in any circumstances across the region. Ms. Topfer found the recent devastation hard to stomach and said the disaster was "foreseeable and 100% preventable." Resident Ian Helmond, whose house was spared but his sauna was destroyed, hoped the recent fire would lead to change and said a project to upgrade power poles to concrete was an example of a good initiative to reduce fires and road blockages. He also suggested that stopping people from lighting fires in the first place would be a good solution.
Conclusion and Future Steps
The recent bushfire in Dolphin Sands has highlighted the need for action to reduce bushfire risk from registered fires. Residents have been warning authorities about the risks of planned burns escaping and causing out-of-control bushfires for years, but no policy changes have been made. The TFS has stated that it is open to working with the community to develop a bushfire plan, and residents are calling for stricter regulations and a ban on lighting fires in the region. It remains to be seen what actions will be taken to address the issue, but it is clear that something needs to be done to prevent similar disasters in the future. The community is hopeful that the recent fire will bring about change and that the authorities will take their concerns seriously.
