South Australia is bracing for an early and potentially devastating bushfire season, with six regions, including the Mount Lofty Ranges and Metropolitan Adelaide, having their fire danger periods brought forward by two weeks.
“We are concerned about the bushfire season across large parts of South Australia,” Country Fire Service chief officer Brett Loughlin said.
“We’re going to see the first real evidence of that risk this weekend with hot and windy conditions on Saturday.”
Firefighters are not only worrying about battling blazes but complacency, as they burnt off high fuel loads to prepare for a dangerous summer.
The CFS is urging residents to prepare their properties after a survey revealed many don’t have a bushfire action plan.
“The fact is you don’t get to control when a fire starts or where, or the conditions on the day that one does,” Scott Kennedy from the Athlestone CFS said.
“The only thing you can control is preparing your property.”