Sustainable Timber Tasmania is investigating how its days-old fuel reduction burn broke containment lines near St Helens on Saturday and prompted an emergency warning for nearby areas.
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Strong winds were thought to have caused the fire to break containment lines and concerns were raised for users of the St Helens Mountain Bike Trails and nearby properties, but no injuries or property damage was reported.
The fuel reduction burn was carried out at Launceston Creek on September 29 and 30, before it broke containment lines on October 3.
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An emergency warning was issued about midday on Oct 3 and downgraded to a watch and act a few hours later.
An STT spokesperson said an investigation was underway to determine the cause.
"Experienced firefighters and supporting staff from Sustainable Timber Tasmania completed the burn, which covered approximately 875 hectares of land," they said.
"Fuel reduction burning reduces fuel loads on the ground and is an effective means to reduce bushfire risk for local communities.
"Fuel reduction burns are routinely reviewed to assess effectiveness. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the fire."
Related:
The plantation's reduction burn was part of the state-wide Fuel Reduction Program.
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Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
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