Letter to the Editor: Dr Joanna Young on the danger to wildlife posed by large prescribed burns

In coming weeks large wildfire-like clouds of smoke will likely be seen in the skies to the west of Albany.

No, it won’t be wildfire, it will be one of this summer’s largest prescribed burns by the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions in the forested and wetland corner of the State.

DBCA is preparing to burn 15,000 hectares in one of the most precious and least disturbed landscapes of the Walpole wilderness.

In the management plan this Willmott-Quindinillup is defined as core wilderness.

Yes, there is a need to mitigate the risks of wildfire across our conservation estate but the way large burns are implemented must change.

This Willmott-Quindinillup area has a burn perimeter of 57km.

These boundary edges are burned first solely for the purpose of containing the fire.

Following this, and when conditions are deemed satisfactory, the main area will be ignited by thousands of incendiaries dropped from a plane systematically criss-crossing most of the area.

The quicker the fire runs over the area the better for the managers who worry about escapes and whether their burned edges will hold.

I believe that thousands of incendiaries will be dropped to ensure that much of the area is burnt relatively quickly.

But what about wildlife? DBCA has often maintained that birds and animals can escape prescribed burns but with so many simultaneous ignitions I do wonder how they could possibly sense which way to run, hop or fly to safety.

And what about those in nests or tree hollows?

For our remaining native fauna, the intensity, scale and season of large, prescribed burns should be carefully reconsidered.

Dr Joanna Young, Marbelup

Letters to the editor must contain the author’s full name, address and daytime contact number. Letters may be edited for space, clarity or legal reasons. Email greatsouthern@wanews.com.au or post to PO Box 5168 Albany, WA, 6332.