MELTON residents fear overgrown grass could lead to lives being put in danger this summer.
CFA Melton station officer Craig Kneeshaw warned the danger of grassfire was very high.
He warned residents against being “tricked” by recent rain because a few days of high temperature would dry out grass quickly.
“Even though rain will dampen the fuel load, it only takes a day of hot weather to dry out again,” he said.
The warning comes after Cashin Court residents complained to the council about an unkempt vacant block near their homes.
“The grass has been left to dry out, reaching heights of two metres. It’s a serious fire hazard,” resident Angela Cunningham said.
“The grass is taller than me and there could be snakes in there as well.”
Council operations manager Greg Wood said a fire prevention notice had been issued and the owner of the land contacted.
“The property owner has until December 5 to clear the property to avoid further action,” he said.
Mr Wood said the council had issued 1011 fire prevention notice to residents this year, compared to 1043 last year.
“Last year, 137 property owners did not comply with the notice.
“Of these, 91 were either prosecuted at court or the matter was resolved prior.” Action against the remaining 46 continues.
With summer officially under way, Mr Kneeshaw urged residents to clean up around their home and have bushfire plans ready.
“The recent heat has definitely come upon us fairly quickly,” he said.
“Even though we’ve had the rain, the grass won’t get any greener. It only adds fuel to any potential grass fires.
“Fuel loads are very high this year and people need to be vigilant and prepared.”
Mr Kneeshaw said grassfires had been reported daily in the past month.
For more details about fire safety, phone 1800 240 667 or visit cfa.vic.gov.au
