News from a Margaret River possum carer...

As you are all aware, the recent Margaret River fires have destroyed over 3000 ha of coastal vegetation, as well as dozens of properties and homes. My heart goes out to all members and their families who have been directly effected by the fires. The fact that this damage was caused by another DEC "controlled" burn, makes it even harder for us in the region to bear. As you can imagine, DEC are defending their management of the burn, and their general line seems to be that this was a prescribed burn that they have been managing since September, which got out of control due to extreme weather conditions. I spent Thursday night evacuated with a friend from Ellensbrook, who was there when the fire got out of control on Wednesday. This is how she and others have related their understanding of the events to me. My apologies if I have recalled any details incorrectly.

On Monday 21st, with extreme weather conditions forecast in the days ahead, DEC wanted to "finalise" a burn that they had begun in the Leeuwin-Naturalist NP in September. This had burnt more slowly than expected, due to good rainfall in spring. Instead of sending in waterbombers and fire crews to put out the remaining fires, they chose instead to send in fire bombers to "reduce fuel" in an area just north of Ellensbrook. Ellensbrook residents noted the smoke and monitored the fire from Ellensbrook Rd on Monday and Tuesday. A relaxed DEC officer was seen cruising down Ellensbrook Rd--no fire truck or crew were seen to be in attendance, although they may have been in the area. On Weds morning, a resident went for a drive to the beach to check out the surf, and instead discovered an out of control fire threatening the boundary of Glenbourne, a community property which houses the original Bussell shack (not Ellensbrook House) as well as a thriving population of ringtails, brushtails, and abundant bird and wildlife. Bordering that property is Heronsbrook, a property which is a feral proof fenced wildlife sanctuary where DEC has released wildlife, including woylies. It too has a thriving ringtail population and abundant bird and wildlife. To the west, is the Ellensbrook Homestead and National Park. How DEC could threaten these two significant private properties, as well as two heritage listed bulidings, plus an Aboriginal sacred site (Meekadarrabee Waterfall,) by back burning during extremely unfavourable weather conditions, is beyond my understanding. An area near Gnarabup was also seen to be firebombed on Monday, but I have no details about that incident, and do not know if it was DEC's responsibility or not. DEC, residents and local fire teams then spent three days fighting the fires at Ellensbrook, and I believe DEC crew are still on duty in that area. Whilst they were able to save buildings and properties in Ellensbrook, the fire quickly raced out of control south towards Kilcarnup. By Thursday this fire crossed Caves Rd and headed east towards Margaret River, and had burnt all the way to Redgate, although the alleged burn in Gnarabup may have also contributed to its spread south of Prevelly.

In distributing this information, I have no desire to criticize individuals within DEC, and I have nothing but praise for the DEC officers on the ground who worked so hard alongside local firefighters to save properties and protect lives. My concern is that any government inquiry that takes place will look for scapegoats to point the finger at, and excuses for what went wrong with the management of this particular burn. And obviously, to all of us lay people, the idea of sending fire instead of water bombers on Monday now seems highly incompetent. However, all of us who are concerned about wildlife have been taking note of the number of "controlled" burns which escape every year, destroying thousands of hectares of precious habitat, already under threat from disease, logging, decreased rainfall and climate change. And we note also that whilst Margaret River was burning, so too were DEC (un)controlled burns in Denmark and Nannup. The Denmark fire has apparently burnt through 4000 ha of bush. Surely what is required is not just an inquiry into the Margaret River fires, but an inquiry into and review of our State's fire management procedures. When this inquiry does take place, if the public is given the opportunity to comment, please make a submission and add your voices to the many who will be calling for an overhaul and a re-visioning of these practices.

The impact on wildlife in these fire affected areas will be enormous. Have a look at the DEC map on their website to see the extent of the fire, it is absolutely heartbreaking. The pictures I have seen and reports that I have been receiving seem to indicate that many animals will have perished in the intensity of the fires. Photos show vast areas of grey ash punctuated with black tree trunks and stumps. However, on the edges of the fire zones, survival of individual animals may have been possible. As residents return to their properties in the worst affected areas--Ellensbrook, Prevelly, Wilderness, Wooditch , Burnside, Redgate, etc., it is possible that fire impacted animals will start to turn up in back yards and unburnt pockets. My friend at Glenbourne reported seeing a gathering of kangaroos in a neighbour's unburned pasture, for example, and she discovered an unburned "garden of Eden" within their burnt bush which will provide refuge for wildlife that can get to it. As far as I have heard, four possums have been taken to local vets, but I'm sure that number will grow. As the days go on, uninjured possums may begin to show signs of stress due to lack of food and water. One resident has already called to report ringtails sheltering in her back yard, but being stalked by neighbourhood cats. As Margaret River doesn't have any bylaws controlling cats, it is essential that residents are on the lookout for possums that seem injured or are behaving unusually, and keep their cats and dogs in at night. When burnt areas, particularly those areas known to have ringtail populations such as Ellensbrook, Prevelly and Burnside, become safe enough to walk through, Possum Centre carers may be able to search for injured possums. Anyone interested in helping should contact the Possum Centre (info@possumcentre.com.au), which will keep us informed. Be aware that burned areas can remain dangerous for some time, so please exercise caution. Any members in Margaret River who have a good source of peppermint leaves may also wish to offer leaves to the MR Vet, or at least let other carers know, in case they are needed.

If anyone else has information to add, please send it through to info@possumcentre.com.au, and it will be distributed through to members.