SA Country Fire Service

Media release

Fire threat far from over as new lessons shared from 2019/20 bushfire survivors

01/02/2021

As we mark the beginning of February, the CFS has released a suite of new videos as part of its 'Be Bushfire Ready' campaign to remind South Australians of the need to remain prepared for bushfires.

Minister for Emergency Services Vincent Tarzia said the confronting videos feature powerful and raw interviews with survivors of the tragic 2019/20 bushfire season.

"These are real stories from real people that deliver spine-tingling messages about the importance of being bushfire ready in South Australia," Minister Tarzia said.

"Preparation, careful planning and the use of bushfire awareness tools like the Alert SA App will save your life during an emergency.

"Last week's Cherry Gardens fire was a sobering reminder of how quickly things can escalate to threaten lives, properties and animals.

"Play your part, know the risk in your area and have a bushfire survival plan in place, it takes just five minutes to complete."

CFS Deputy Chief Officer Andrew Stark said the fire season was far from over.

"February and March are often drier and hotter than previous summer months," Mr Stark said.

"We know the seasons are getting longer and it would not be unusual for fires to start as late as April in the current climate.

"Now is not the time to be complacent. We've released these videos today to make sure we're all thinking about what we would do, where we would go and how we would stay informed during a bushfire emergency."

The suite of videos can be found at the CFS YouTube channel.

Do your 5 minute bushfire plan today.

Media information
For media enquiries call the CFS Media Line on 08 8115 3531.

Government of South Australia