Prepare early, save lives

Severe fire warnings and a build-up of fuel has a Pratten resident worried.
Robert Wright has experienced bushfires and doesn’t want to see his village decimated like those in Victoria’s ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires two years ago.
“I’ve gone through many a fire, I know the things that happen in fires,” he said.
“Fires to me are a hell on earth and are not something to be taken lightly.”
Mr Wright is urging others to start their bushfire preparations now to prevent catastrophy later in the year.
“When a fire starts, you want the least tinder around you,” he said. “We always clear out our gutters and keep the grass on our land down, because I think prevention is always better than cure.”
But Mr Wright’s main concern is not how to bushfire protect his own property, but how to protect it from the land surrounding.
“It’s a tinderbox everywhere you look and people should take responsibility for fire hazards,” Mr Wright said.
It may seem early to be worried about bushfires, but just last week the Bureau of Meterology issued a severe fire weather warning for parts of the Maranoa district. A spotter plane was in the air last Wednesday, on the lookout for potential fire outbreaks, and water bombers were ready just in case.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Services South Western Rural Operations manager Wayne Waltisbuhl urged residents to make sure they were doing all they could to prepare their homes and properties.
“All residents should prepare their properties now, if they have not already done so, and visit the rural fire website to download a bushfire survival plan so no one is caught off-guard,” he said.
More information on preparing for bushfire season can be found by visiting www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au