The EcoFire approach
Traditional owners Sammy and Betty Walker work
with AWC staff Sarah Legge and Richard Kingswood
on fire management (Joanna Axford)
EcoFire is improving Kimberley fire patterns through a strategic prescribed burn program.
Each year before the dry season, AWC works with neighbouring properties within the EcoFire project area to produce a Regional Burn Plan. Fire histories (prepared using archived satellite imagery) help property owner/managers to design routes for prescribed firebreaks on their property, which are then linked between EcoFire properties. The firebreaks are created using aerial incendiaries dropped from a R44 helicopter in the early-dry season (April-May) when the vegetation is still damp and the air is humid causing fires to go out overnight. Property managers also carry out on-ground follow-up work.
Other activities include:
- Monitoring sites across the EcoFire project area to look at how different sorts of fires interact with grazing to affect the quality and condition of the grass layer (conducted by Department of Agriculture and Food WA– http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/).
- Participatory fire management planning trialled with the Yulumbu community of Tablelands Station (conducted by the Kimberley Land Council - www.klc.org.au).
- Training in prescribed fire management provided to EcoFire participants (provided by Fire and Emergency Services Authority – www.fesa.wa.gov.au).
- A communication strategy to improve awareness of fire-related issues in the broader community (developed and implemented by AWC from Mornington).
Project Manager Sarah Legge and Chopper Pilot
Butch Maher review prescribed fire line
(Joanna Axford).
“Tirralintji community have a really good relationship with AWC, Richard and Sarah and the staff, we’re working with them on fire management… They help us and we help them, we work together to keep our fire team going for our next generation, for the future”
(Betty Walker, Tirralintji community, Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary).
Burning a firebreak on Mornington from aerially
dropped incendiaries (Alex Dudley)