Plantation Sustainability – Environment
Fire
Fire is a natural part of the Australian environment.
- The high value of plantations necessitates good fire risk management by the owners. In addition almost all timber plantations are insured, indicating the confidence of the insurance brokers in the timber plantation manager’s capability to protect their valuable resources.
- Fire losses in plantations are lower than native forests, mainly because of higher fuel moisture content, generally lower wind speeds, reduced fire spotting potential, and lack of dry understorey.
What do plantation managers do about fire risk?
- Both internal and external firebreaks are constructed within timber plantations to enable access to all areas of a timber plantation in the event of fire.
- Fire tanker access to dams and tracks to permanent streams are also constructed during the timber plantation establishment phase.
- In some states, large plantation growers now have Forest Industry Brigades (FIB) to further reduce the risk of fire damage. They are also often members of local community brigades.
- Forest Industry Brigades assist local community brigades and state agencies in management and suppression of rural fires.
Fire Management Guidelines
In some States the relevant fire management authorities have produced fire management guidelines for people who manage land. Likewise many Codes of Practice for plantation management include considerations for management of fire risk (Refer to Codes of Practice for each State in Regulation & Planning section).
In Victoria the Country Fire Authority has produced a draft publication called ‘On the Land: Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines’ that details actions that land managers can take to achieve improved personal and community safety, to protect their assets and enterprises and to meet legal requirements. These guidelines provide include additional advice for timber plantation managers as follows:
The following excerpt is from (draft) ‘On The Land: Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines’ Country Fire Authority, Victoria www.cfa.vic.gov.au Accessed November 2006:
Additional Advice Plantation Timber
Farm forestry and woodlots have been included as part of the General Advice for all properties rather than this section, because they are often undertaken alongside other main enterprises and are often present on properties as windbreaks or vegetation for environmental reasons such as salinity.
Objective: Planning for and undertaking fire safety activities for people as a priority
1. Planning fire management
In accordance with legislation, commercial forests on private land must be established and harvested in accordance with the Code of Forest Practice for Timber Production 1996. Code of Forest Practice for Timber Production 1996 (currently under review) When establishing new plantations, landowners and managers are encouraged to contact their local council about planning scheme requirements such as permits, setbacks to dwellings and buildings and Plantation Development Notices.
Objective: Taking all reasonable steps to prevent unplanned fires starting, including planned fires escaping
2. Operating machinery and equipment
In addition to considering the advice on operating machinery and equipment (General Advice 4), operators of machinery and equipment in plantations are encouraged to have a dry chemical fire extinguisher.
3. Harvesting
Harvesting is a high fire risk activity that requires particular care. In accordance with the Code of Forest Practice for Timber Production 1996 timber harvesting is required to be based on a Timber Harvesting Plan. This plan may include fire protection restrictions. Consider scaling down harvesting operations when the Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) increases above 30 in hilly country and 45 on flat land.
4. Fire prevention policies
Consider having policies restricting public access to plantations, and activities such as smoking and camp or billy fires on or near plantations during the Fire Danger Period.
Objective: Taking all reasonable steps to limit the spread of unplanned fire
5. Forest Industry Brigades
In accordance with legislation, plantation owners with an aggregate of more than 500 hectares of plantation within a radius area of 25 km may be required to form a Forest Industry Brigade, or form a partnership with other plantation owners to form such a brigade. CFA Regulations 2004 Part 5.
6. Preparedness and response planning
Plantation owners and managers are encouraged to ensure that arrangements are made for access to heavy equipment such as bulldozers, graders and excavators for firefighting purposes. It is suggested that this preparedness level be documented and scaled up or down in response to predicted fire danger levels. Consider developing a fire response plan between the plantation owner and manager and local fire brigades. Include Department of Sustainability and Environment in the development of these plans if the plantation is near a Fire Protected Area. Consider using early fire detection systems such as lookouts and aerial and ground patrols.
7. Fuel breaks
In addition to the advice for all properties regarding perimeter breaks (General Advice 6); while the width of perimeter breaks will vary depending on fire management needs, as a general guide landowners and managers are encouraged to have perimeter breaks in timber plantations free of trees for at least 10m, incorporating an access track. Consider modifying and/or reducing fuel loads in plantations and on adjacent land to increase the effectiveness of fuel breaks. Consider developing a mosaic of compartments of different ages to avoid heavy continuous fuel accumulation.
Objective: Providing property and water access for firefighting
8. Access for firefighting
In addition to the advice regarding access tracks relevant to all properties (General Advice 8) it is encouraged that each point within the plantation is no more than 300m from an access track, perimeter break or open paddock. Wherever possible, plantation estates should be divided into blocks no greater than 400ha by access tracks similar to perimeter breaks.
9. Water supply access
In addition to the advice regarding
water supplies relevant to all properties (General Advice 9), landowners
and managers are encouraged to consider special access issues if they
are planning to use helicopters for fire suppression. Helidam specifications
(NRE Air Operations Manual 1996).
Access the Guidelines (draft): On The Land: Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines (For Victoria) (pdf).
How does fire behave in plantations?
Experience and research in ‘Blue Gum’ or Hardwood plantations over the last decade has shown that fires in young plantations have not had the intensity or rates of spread expected. The reduced fire behaviour in young hardwood plantations seems related to the way in which the fuel is arranged.
Generally there is little ground fuel until the trees are close to harvest age (approx 12 years), at which time branches, bark and leaves can accumulate. The most commonly grown hardwood species, Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), is self pruning and as they mature there is separation of ground and aerial fuels, reducing opportunities for crown fires. (Excerpt from ‘Fire Behaviour in Hardwood Plantations’ David Geddes, Geddes Management Pty Ltd, Paper presented to Australian Forest Growers Conference 2006).
Read more in the following paper and articles:
- For the full paper:
Fire Behaviour in Hardwood Plantations (pdf), David Geddes, Geddes Management. Paper presented to Australian Forest Growers Conference 2006. - For observations about a specific fire event on Saturday 9 April 2005:
Observations on fire behaviour in a blue gum plantation (pdf), Fabian Crowe (Country Fire Authority) and Darren Shelden (Green Triangle Forest Manager, Forestry Division, Timbercorp), Australian Forest Grower Magazine Spring 2005. - For observations exploring
the ‘damping down’ affects that blue
gum plantations can have on fire behaviour:
Blue gums proving firestoppers this summer (pdf), David Geddes, Australian Forest grower Magazine Autumn 2006.
