Prescribed burn planned at Monarto South on Monday
The National Parks and Wildlife Service will be burning off at Monarto Woodlands Conservation Park.
If you see smoke drifting across the freeway at Monarto on Monday afternoon, fear not.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is planning a prescribed burn at Monarto Woodlands Conservation Park.
The burn-off will reduce fuel loads in the park, reducing the risk of a bushfire affecting homes and businesses over the summer.
It will be carried out in a 33-hectare block right next to the Monarto freeway exit, north of the freeway and west of Ferries McDonald Road, between 1pm and 8pm.
The speed limit on the freeway will be reduced to 80 kilometres per hour for the operation, and part of McLean Road will be temporarily closed.
The burn may be cancelled if conditions become unsafe.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Fiona Gill said reducing the amount of fuel available helped limit the speed and intensity of any bushfire.
“It makes bushfires easier to control, provides a safer environment for firefighters, and ultimately saves lives and property,” she said.
An Australasian Fire Authorities Council assessment in August found that fuel loads across South Australia were much higher than usual this year, especially out in the Mallee.
A wet start to winter prompted lots of growth, then a period without rain allowed it all to dry out.
- More information about prescribed burns: www.environment.sa.gov.au.
- More information about the bushfire outlook: www.afac.com.au.
- Get help: To report a fire, call 000.
Locals support locals. Your support helps Murray Bridge News tell important local stories.
