SOUTH-WEST Logan Fire and Rescue and Rural Fire crews in Jimboomba, Greenbank and Woodhill have united as the 2019-2020 bushfire season heats up.
Firefighters have conducted Operation Cool Burn duties in anticipation of the start of the season on August 1.
Jimboomba Fire and Rescue acting captain Jason Hall said preparation was key to ensuring community safety during bushfire season.
"That means being proactive around your property, ensuring that lawns are mown, preventing overgrowth on large properties and removing dry or dead leaf litter, branches and flammable items away from houses," he said.
Mr Hall said firefighters were called to a series of preventable bushfires last year, likely caused by cigarette butts being flicked from cars on the Mount Lindesay Highway.
"These types of fires have the potential to cause a smoke hazard on the road that can result in serious accidents, including injury or death to firefighters attending to these fires if motorists travelling at high speed do not slow down..." he said.
Due to ongoing dry weather conditions, all permits to light fires have been cancelled until the region experiences significant rainfall.
Woodhill Rural Fire Station third officer and fire warden Colin Howell said too many people were unaware of the fire ban, which had the potential to put a strain on emergency resources.
"There is no excuse for people who are unaware of the bans as this information is all over the media," he said.
"We have noted with caution that the current rainfall and temperature outlooks show an increased liklihood of warmer and drier conditions during this year's bushfire season."
Rural Fire Service South Coast area director, Inspector Kaye Healing, said there was no room for complacency as one spark was enough to start a bushfire.
"Machinery used to maintain properties such as tractors, slashers, welders and grinders can start grassfires," she said.
"If you need to undertake these activities during dry conditions, you need to have the appropriate resources to extinguish a fire, should one start."
Area commander Robert Bloss said people using electric blankets and heaters needed to exercise caution during Winter.
"If they are poorly maintained or power switches are overloaded, this could cause fires inside the home," he said.
"People are encouraged to check their smoke alarms are operating and change old smoke alarms to the interconnected photoelectric type."
Greenbank Rural Fire Station's first officer Fabian Stangherlin said every household should have a bushfire survival plan.
"So that if threatened by a bushfire, you know when you will leave, what you will take, where you will go and who you will tell," he said
For more information visit the Rural Fire Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services websites.
