Spring outlook shows increased bushfire risk

Fire authorities are cautioning against complacency ahead of Australia’s warm season, with the fire risk increasing in most states and territories over the coming months.A seasonal outlook released by the Australian and New Zealand Council for Fire and Emergency Services (AFAC) shows an increased risk of fire in areas across all jurisdictions this spring, except for the ACT (ABC).Chief executive Rob Webb said the outlook was driven by dry conditions in the country’s east and increased fuel loads through parts of central and northern Australia (The Guardian).Below average rainfall has also increased the fire danger for parts of Tasmania and Victoria, with the council stating that Victoria faced “one of its warmest and driest spring outlooks in some time” (The Guardian).On Wednesday, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Michael Logan also warned that “an El Nino event is underway, but [it] is strengthening, and it is going to be a very strong one,” (The Canberra Times).“Don’t wait for a bushfire to start,” AFAC president Darren Klim said on Wednesday. “Take the time now to make a plan, understand your risks, and discuss it with your loved ones” (The Canberra Times).Read more: The threat El Niño poses to climate science (The Saturday Paper)