By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on August 30, 2018
A REVIEW into pre-conditions that led to a maelstrom of fires ripping through more than 20,000 hectares of the Great Southern and South West in May is due to be submitted to the State Government late next month.
A document from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services states the review will be independently assessed by an industry expert before being provided to the State Government in late September, via the Executive Director of the Rural Fire Division and the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner.
The review will “consider whether management actions leading up to the severe weather event were adequate and whether current mechanisms to mitigate the risk of planned fire escapes are adequate”.
The document says the review will not examine the response to the fires or incident management, and that the Office of Bushfire Risk Management will undertake a review to examine what led to fires escaping from planned burns on private property and how the risk of these escapes can be effectively mitigated into the future.
The City of Albany has also conducted an analysis into the firestorms.
Executive Director for Development Services for the City Paul Camins said a post incident analysis had been conducted with staff, and the combined bushfire brigades had also undertaken their own analysis.
“We will be assessing the feedback and making any improvements for future incidents,” he said.
“We are very pleased with the efforts of our City of Albany fire volunteers and the enormous effort they gave in fighting these fires, and the way our staff worked quickly and efficiently to support other agencies in responding to the fires.”
A City of Albany spokesperson said the post incident analysis was an internal process and the report would not be published.
