North West bushfire season expected to have ‘delayed onset’ due to record wet-season flooding

Residents of WA’s North West are being urged to prepare for the fire season despite authorities expecting a delayed onset due to record floods earlier in the year. It comes as the Department of Fire and Emergency Services warned West Australians in other parts of the State, including the South West, to prepare for an earlier start to their bushfire season. On August 23, Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said soil in WA’s south was set to rapidly dry, causing a dangerous bushfire season to begin sooner than expected. In the North West, Mr Klemm said the opposite was expected, with record floods in the Kimberley and sporadic dry season rainfall meaning the soil had retained more moisture than usual. “In the Kimberley, that significant unprecedented flooding that occurred in January and February earlier this year, and then that unseasonal rainfall that fell in June has meant that the fire season there will have a delayed onset because of the quantity of moisture in the landscape,” he said. Despite the expected delay, Mr Klemm said residents should still act quickly to combat fire hazards on their properties. “Now is the time in the next two months before November comes around . . . We’re encouraging people to get in and get that work done,” he said. Mr Klemm urged people to not be complacent when preparing for the fire season even though last year’s season was “milder” compared with previous years. “The next two months create an ideal window of opportunity to conduct planned burns, clear and prune vegetation, build firebreaks and make your home ember-proof,” he said. The latest warning by DFES comes after 28 councils in WA received grants from the State Government to help with fire mitigation activities.