A small runaway campfire on Coochiemudlo Island this morning is a timely reminder of the dangers and risk of open fires in fire season, particularly when they start on islands or isolated location.
This particular campfire also highlighted poor camper behaviour with vegetation damaged in making the campfire.
While there is no total fire ban in place in the Redlands, the outbreak from the un-extinguished overnight beach fire highlights the need to always follow camp fires safety precautions to avoid risk to people, especially children and to the environment.
You should:
- Always check with local fire, council or parks authorities on local fire restrictions before lighting any fires.
- Always position campfires in cleared areas, without no overhanging branches, minimal grass and scrub.
- Ensure the campfire is a safe distance from tents, camping equipment and flammable items such as gas and fuel
- Always use an available fireplace such as a barbeque pit or build a fire pit and surround it with large rocks.
- Always keep the fire at a controllable size.
- Never use any kind of flammable liquids (such as petrol) on a fire to get it started (can cause serious flash burns and risk of spread).
- Always put out campfires with water when you have finished (hot coals will continue to burn for many hours even if covered by sand).
- Never leave any campfire unattended for any period of time and always fully extinguish with water.
Immediately call 000 if you notice a fire getting out of control or a risk to property and life.
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