Fire+Management

How do we use fire on the school site to manage the natural population? Can we? What are the issues? Why would we burn? Do we need to burn? How would you design an ecological fire plan that looks after the safety of the people and facilities? Is it possible? Why would we want an ecological fire plan?

As part of our response to fire we need to consider the safety of the students and the school's facilities. What are the possible fire risks at the school site. When are we most at risk? What is done to reduce this risk?

A fire map, showing the highest risk areas in the school.

The wildlife reserve and paddocks at the Ag/Hort also are in danger of fires during summer, which puts the farm animals and the native animals at a huge risk. If plants are burnt, there are measures that can be taken to ensure that they grow back in a healthy and safe environment. In order to promote the regrowth of native plants that rely upon an annual fire that replenishes the plant population, there have been a number of suggestions towards the management towards a fire plan in certain areas across Woodleigh that shall span several years.
 * Fire Plan: ** Fire is a very big part of Woodleigh School. With the langwarrin flaura and fauna reserve just a few kilometers away, if a fire started there it would only take a medium-strong south-west wind for the fire to hit teh boarders of the school. Fire prevention is an absolute necessity, including preparation, education, a good fire plan and regular fire drills. The fire plan and fire drills already in practice at Woodleigh have been well rehearsed, with regular drills and updates of the fire warnings on the Portal during the summer period. In case a fire did acess the school, the evacuation plan is solid and would hold up in an emergency.

**High Risk Areas:** The areas of highest risk in the school are behind the gym, in the wildlife reserve and at the front of the school in the dense bushes. The grounds in these areas need to be maintained leading up to and over summer. Around the Jago area and the front of Cruden Oval, there are alot of dead leaves and dried old trees that would create a hig fire risk if left unattened. This are needs to be cleared and kept clear to ensure maximu fire protection. The Ag/Hort area dries out significantly in summer, and coupled with dry winds can create a high fire danger. Dry, broken branches and leaves line the fences and build up in dangerous piles. The front of the school is not so much a high fire danger if the school was to be threatened; in fact, teh highest danger to that area is smokers. People who smoke in the bushes, throw cigarettes while walking or driving, and other hot objects run the risk of causing the dead timber to catch alight. This area is densly vegetated and so serves as home to many different animals and birds. The burning of this area would destroy the hoems and food sources of many of the animals living in the Woodleigh area.

** Suggestions: ** · Starting fires across an area over a number of years, taking care to ensure that no one fire zone overlaps with another that was lit within three years ago. When said fires are in progress, the site shall be underneath constant maintenance by a CFA crew and the area around the fire zone shall have been layered with fire retardant terrain, such as a brick wall or simple rocks, in order to turn the zone into a makeshift fire pit. Upon further research, we found that using CFA crews is not a viable option due to high costs. The cost is $150 for 15 minutes and just the use of one firetruck. This would have to be done every six years, and just controlled burning between homesteads one and two would take a minimum of eight hours and would require three firetrucks. This makes CFA surpervised controlled burning too expensive for the school to run and another viable option needs to be found.