Climate change has often been described as "the new normal", but Tasmania Fire Service disagrees: the worsening fire conditions each summer means there is no longer a "normal" at all.
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Preparing Tasmania through better remote firefighting capabilities and improved planning laws to protect properties was the focus of the annual TFS and SES State Conference at the Country Club Casino this weekend.
The theme 'Not the Norm' reflected the growing need to bolster fire support in the state in the face of worsening climatic conditions.
Tasmania just suffered through the worst fire season, in geographic terms, since 1967 with three per cent of the state's land mass affected. The season followed on from the devastating fires of 2016.
TFS chief officer Chris Arnol said it was clear climate change was causing more fires to ignite in Tasmanian wilderness areas.
"We don't have any climate sceptics on the end of a hose line," he said.
"Once we might have had a lightning band go through, and out of that we only get seven fires.
"This year we got 70 fires, so it's the volume.
Read more on the impact of climate change on bushfires:
"This time we had such a dry ground [so] the lightning ignitions were of higher volumes. That happened in 2016 as well."
Expert guest speakers discussed ways that Tasmania could prepare for more seasons like 2018-19 as they become increasingly common.
TFS deployed sprinklers in various areas to protect valuable assets - a practice that was likely to be expanded, including permanent sprinklers.
As the season worsened however, support from interstate was needed for remote area firefighting.
Mr Arnol said Tasmania's fuel reduction program, urban firefighting and predictive modelling were already working effectively, but improvements needed to be made in planning for, and fighting, wilderness fires.
"The essential strategies which are being discussed today at the conference are talking about hardening up our society, making it more resilient," he said.
"We term that as a shared responsibility. We have to respond, but prior to response you can prepare property, make it safer, even design it better.
"We're going to put greater effort into our remote firefighting capability of our volunteers.
"I don't think we're finished, we're on a journey there."
Private airstrips essential in rapid air support
The TFS has provided awards of recognition to two Tasmanian landowners who provided access to their airfields to deploy helicopters and aircraft for remote firefighting.
David Downie's property Valleyfield near Epping Forest was used almost every day during the most recent fire season, where up to 10 aircraft were regularly stationed.
The property contains an airfield constructed during World War Two in preparation for a Japanese invasion.
Mr Downie said having the strategically-located airfield as a permanent base for aircraft during the fire season enabled the TFS to access further airstrips closer to fire grounds.
"The TFS has seen the benefit of having aircraft and the government has provided them with facilities, and so they've set up a more permanent sites for aircraft," he said.
"This has made it easier for them to bring in more aircraft, then they've been able to set up sub-bases elsewhere.
"The airfield on my place has initiated the thinking to have aircraft spread throughout the state wherever they are needed.
"If a fire starts in another area, they can service it initially from my airstrip and then they can set up another airstrip, particularly for helicopters which can land anywhere; if you have a major fire event you can set up an airstrip closer to the fire."
Bob Shoobridge also received an award for providing access to his property Fenton Forest, which was used as a helicopter base to the firegrounds in the south-west wilderness and Central Plateau, accommodating 100 remote area firefighters.