A safeguard for summer

Editorial: Emily Wan

Victoria’s scorching summer weather means that fire is a constant threat.

Victoria Police has launched Operation Safeguard to deal with the ongoing danger of fire this summer, with the operation’s primary focus to target unintentional and reckless actions that could potentially cause an inferno.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Grainger said most fires start from non-deliberate activities, such as leaving a burning candle or campfire unattended, however these actions can have the same deadly consequence as arson.

To reduce the risk to the community during summer months, particularly on elevated fire danger days, police will patrol fire-prone areas with a hard-line approach to negligent behaviour.

AC Grainger said the penalties for causing a fire intentionally or recklessly reflect the severity of the offence, which can cause significant harm including loss of life and property.

Penalties can range from a fine of up to $37,000 or two-years jail if caught lighting a fire on a total fire ban day, to 15 years imprisonment if found guilty of recklessly or intentionally causing a bushfire.

“The bushfire catastrophes we have unfortunately experienced across our state are a reminder of the need to be vigilant when dealing with fire,” AC Grainger said.

“It can be as simple as paying attention to fire danger rating predictions, adhering to total fire ban days, and promoting fire safety among family and friends.”

AC Grainger said real-time intelligence provided by the public is the most valuable tool for fire prevention and detection. For this reason, he encourages people to report dangerous behaviour and suspicious fire activity to authorities.

To prepare for this year’s summer season, residents of Powelltown, Three Bridges and Gilderoy in the state’s east took part in an evacuation exercise in late October. The aim was to test the response of residents and emergency services to a bushfire threat using a scenario-based exercise.

The exercise involved more than 120 community members and saw 62 people evacuated to an Emergency Relief Centre with the remainder of participants activating their plan to stay and defend their home or leaving the area.

Preparedness measures, including bushfire response plans, warning systems and procedures, were implemented and evaluated during the exercise to determine opportunities for improvement.

“These scenario exercises are a helpful way to improve our threat mitigation and operational response, to keep Victorians safe in the event of a bushfire threat,” AC Grainger said.