Forest Fire Management Victoria, which includes Melbourne Water, completed 31 planned burns on 2571 hectares of public land across the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges, western grasslands, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne's northern suburbs.
Filmed from McVeigh’s Fire Tower towards Upper Yarra Reservoir, this timelapse (below) shows one of two strategic burns conducted in the Reefton and McMahon’s Creek areas in late March.
Alongside other bushfire risk reduction works, this burn will help firefighters contain bushfires in the water catchment as quickly as possible.
While the burns were completed in 3 days, local crews continued to monitor the burn sites for signs of smoke and possible re-ignition.
Port Phillip Region Deputy Chief Fire Officer Tamara Beckett said specialist staff carefully assess each potential burn site and develop plans to safeguard local biodiversity before, during and after planned burns.
'Reducing dry vegetation such as grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and small fallen branches means fires are less intense and slower to spread, making it more likely that firefighters can keep bushfires small and contained before they pose a risk to communities, the environment and infrastructure.'
'We protect biodiversity during planned burning by setting up planned burning exclusion zones to avoid burning in ecosystems that are sensitive to fire, burning outside of particular breeding or flowering seasons, and by leaving areas unburnt to provide refuge for animals.'
The Joint Fuel Management Program (JFMP) sets out the actions for FFMVic and CFA to manage bushfire risk over the next 3 years.
Page last updated: 01/07/25