Statistics for August

August was a busy month with eight sightings of smoke reported by Helidon Hills Smokespotters.

Six of these were accurately located, of which three turned out to be outside the Helidon Hills area.

One fire could not be accurately located because the sighting occurred just as it was getting dark and no further observations could be made.  This was likely to have been a permitted burn.

The location of the other was originally mis-identified by a Coordinator (GC).  On the basis of only one bearing and a good view of the smoke from another point (ten kilometres from the fire) an estimated location was reported.  This violated our usual standard of requiring at least two bearings to give a reasonable location, but was done because: (a) the fire was in an area where there have been several arson incidents over the last five years; and (b) the fire was obviously being lit up when it was first observed - a line of smoke columns of decreasing height toward the most recent ignition point.  QPWS and Grantham RFS mobilised quickly, the latter with the assistance of the Helidon Police, while the Smokespotters continued to try to get bearings on the smoke.  The fire was identified by QPWS and the RFS as being a permitted burn three kilometres away from the original estimated location, just as a Smokespotter reported a good bearing which confirmed this location.  This fire was not on the Firecomm web site of reported lighting of permitted burns (though the landowner said he had reported his intention to light up) and the light-up had not been advised to the Smokespotters.

Another fire off Goldmine Road was found by QPWS staff using a helicopter to do a controlled burn in the White Mountain area.  This fire was clearly pretty clearly the result of arson, as it was in the National Park away from roads.

During the month the Smokespotter Coordinators were advised of intention to light up four permitted/controlled burns in the Helidon Hills.  This potentially saved a considerable amount of time for the Coordinators and other Smokespotters as well as the RFS.  Our thanks to those who provided this advice.