A WA parliamentary question regarding a prescribed burn in Margaret River that escaped containment. The questions focus on the timing of the burn, control measures, and reasons for their failure.

AnsweredQoN 1073Legislative Council
Asked
24 November 2011
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

MARGARET RIVER PRESCRIBED BURN — DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
I ask this question on behalf of Hon Sally Talbot who is away on urgent parliamentary business. I refer to the fires burning in the Margaret River area. (1) When was the initial prescribed burn started? (2) What measures were put in place to control the fringes of the prescribed burn before it was started? (3) Were any additional measures put in place to control the fringes of the fire in the days after the prescribed burn; and, if so, what were they? (4) Were these measures in place yesterday; if not, why not; and, if so, why did they fail? Hon HELEN MORTON

AnswerView source ↗

I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(1) When was the initial prescribed burn started? (2) What measures were put in place to control the fringes of the prescribed burn before it was started? (3) Were any additional measures put in place to control the fringes of the fire in the days after the prescribed burn; and, if so, what were they? (4) Were these measures in place yesterday; if not, why not; and, if so, why did they fail? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(2) What measures were put in place to control the fringes of the prescribed burn before it was started? (3) Were any additional measures put in place to control the fringes of the fire in the days after the prescribed burn; and, if so, what were they? (4) Were these measures in place yesterday; if not, why not; and, if so, why did they fail? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(3) Were any additional measures put in place to control the fringes of the fire in the days after the prescribed burn; and, if so, what were they? (4) Were these measures in place yesterday; if not, why not; and, if so, why did they fail? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(4) Were these measures in place yesterday; if not, why not; and, if so, why did they fail? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
I thank Hon Sally Talbot for some notice of the question and I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for asking it on her behalf when she was unavoidably detained from the house. (1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(1) The initial prescribed burn started on 6 September 2011. (2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(2) The burn was “edged” in accordance with standard practice. This created an area of burnt ground around the perimeter of the burn. (3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(3) Additional measures were put in place, by way of burning out unburnt pockets and strengthening the perimeter, to secure the burn in the days preceding the escape on 23 November. (4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.
(4) Yes. The weather conditions on 23 November caused embers to be thrown across the burn boundary into unburnt fuels.

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