A total of 44 burns have recently been completed across South Australia during the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) autumn burning program.
This year the autumn program continued into June due to the dry conditions, but most years it finishes in May.
NPWS conducted its biggest spring burning program to date, with 46 burns completed from August to November 2023.
Nearly 60 burns were done in the Mount Lofty Ranges throughout the year; the region appeals because there is a high population and many national parks and reserves.
Prescribed burns are important as a fire management tool to reduce fuel loads and to protect people and land from high intensity bushfires.
Other fire management activities are done to also protect land from high intensity bushfires; those activities include slashing, weed control and fire track maintenance.
Prescribed burning responsibilities are shared between the Country Fire Service, government agencies and private landholders in South Australia.
NPWS fire management director Fiona Gill said burns helped to reduce fuel loads.
“We acknowledge that the prolonged dry conditions through autumn were a challenge for SA agriculture but provided us with the right conditions to complete a high number of vital prescribed burns,” Ms Gill said.
“Staff planned and prepared programs carefully and looked for very opportunity to undertake this important work, including burns that previously hadn’t been completed over the past few years.”
