Fire in Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna Reserve

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Beaconsfield Flora
and Fauna Reserve
    
Friends of Cardinia Creek Sanctuary         

Managing the Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna Reserve
*BFFR Management Plan
*Fire in BFFR             *Be a good Bushland Neighbour         

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Fire in the Australian Environment    Managing fire risk in BFFR   Fire Links

Fire in the Australian environment
Fire is a natural occurrence in the Australian environment, as it has been for millions of years. Many of our native plants have adapted to live with fire over this time. Much of the vegetation of south-eastern Australia is highly flammable. Local aborigines once used fire as a tool to encourage regrowth in bushland. The aborigines were able to hunt the animals grazing on the new growth, such as kangaroos, wallabies and other smaller mammals.
                                                                              Above: Regeneration after fire, 2003.        

European settlers were much less familiar with fire when they arrived in Australia. Their lifestyle of creating permanent settlements was threatened by frequent fire, putting lives and property at risk. The threat to towns and lives was reduced by the creation of 'firebreaks' between towns and areas of 'wild' bush. Fires became less frequent, and this allowed the leaf litter and ground level vegetation that fuels fires to build up. When fires did ignite in these areas, their intensity was much higher than that of the fires lit by aborigines.

This attitude towards fire has dominated Australian society until recent times. Victoria has experienced many major fires that have destroyed lives and property. One local example is the Ash Wednesday bushfires on February 16, 1983. This fire burned out 11,000 hectares locally, beginning in South Belgrave and burning through the Upper Beaconsfield hills and as far south as Officer. The Beaconsfield township was spared although hundreds were evacuated. The fire front reached within a few hundred metres of the reserve. Ash Wednesday claimed 20 lives locally, including 11 firefighters, and destroyed 170 homes in the hills around Beaconsfield.

Many lessons have been learned from the study of major fires in the past century. Today, controlled or 'prescribed' fire is used as a tool by environmental managers to reduce fuel loads and to encourage the regeneration of indigenous vegetation.

Managing the fire risk in BFFR
Fire is an important consideration for the management of bushland areas. Not only does wildfire pose a threat to surrounding properties, it can also threaten visitors, reserve facilities and the values of the reserve such as fire-sensitive ecosystems and habitats. In BFFR, fire was excluded for many decades, despite recommendations to use controlled burns to halt the spread of the fire-sensitive weed Sweet Pittosporum.

In the past six years, two small burns have been conducted in eastern areas of the reserve to stimulate the growth of indigenous vegetation (ecological burns). These burns have also reduced fuel loads in areas closer to homes. A Fire Management Plan has been prepared for the reserve. Burns are coordinated by the Cardinia Shire Council with the local CFA brigade. In the reserve, prescribed burning is restricted to the dry, higher ground in the east/south-eastern section to reduce fuel loads and enhance native plant regeneration. In other areas, conditions are too wet throughout the year to allow burning, and many of the plants in these wetter areas are sensitive to damage by fire. 

More information:
Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna Reserve Management Plan (see pages 14,15)

Department of Sustainability and Environment Fire Pages

Country Fire Authority Website