Types of Burns
PWS currently undertake two types of planned burns. Fuel reduction burns are undertaken to reduce the fuel loads in a particular area and ecological burns to achieve specific ecological outcomes.
A single planned burn can have multiple objectives. For example, burns undertaken primarily for fuel reduction purposes may also have ecological benefits such as creating a mosaic of vegetation age classes in the landscape. Similarly burns undertaken for ecological reasons also have the added benefit of reducing the fine fuel load, making bushfire suppression activities in the area easier.
Ecological Burns
The primary objective of an ecological burn is to achieve positive ecological outcomes or improve ecological resilience.
An example of ecological burning can be used to regenerate button grass moorlands. The use of a controlled fire in this vegetation type is seen as critical to the persistence of the critically endangered, orange-bellied parrot who forage in recently burnt vegetation.
Fuel Reduction burns
The primary objective of a Fuel Reduction Burn is to reduce bushfire risk. The aim is to reduce the fine fuel load to an extent that bushfire intensity will be reduced, and suppression efforts made easier and safer. These burns can be undertaken to protect human settlement areas, critical assets, parks infrastructure as well as fire sensitive vegetation.
The Tasmanian Government established the state-wide Fuel Reduction Program in 2014, which is a coordinated program of fuel reduction burning across the State. The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS), Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) and Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) are the key program partners.
As a part of this program, PWS delivers planned burns across its reserve network that are aimed at reducing the risk of future bushfire to Tasmanian communities and critical assets.