NEWS RELEASE Prescribed burn at East Gosselands on KI A prescribed burn is planned in the East Gosselands region, 27km south-west of Parndana on Kangaroo Island, for Saturday, 29 March 2014, weather conditions permitting. • • • • • The burn will start about 11am and should be complete by 10pm. It will affect about 9ha adjacent to the Warner Boundary Track, to the east of Gosse-Ritchie Road. A significant smoke column will be produced during this burn. This is normal for burns of this size. Gosse-Ritchie Road may be impacted by smoke for the duration of the burn. Signs will be in place along the road to warn motorists. The closest residences are rural properties within 1km to the east and west and 2km to the south. There is limited public access to this park. The burn will be carried out by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). The primary objective of this burn is to provide a fuel-reduced buffer along the southern boundary of the East Gosselands, and assist in preventing the spread of fires out of and into the park from adjoining private properties. It is identified in the Flinders Chase Fire Management Plan and is part of a statewide program of prescribed burning being conducted this autumn in high-risk public land areas. Creating strategically-located, fuel-reduced areas through prescribed burning is essential in helping to reduce the potential spread and impact of bushfires on communities and the environment by providing earlier containment options for firefighters. A list of the week’s planned burns is available on the DEWNR website, at www.environment.sa.gov.au/firemanagement/Burns_and_bushfires. Prescribed burns will only be carried out when it is deemed safe to do so and may be cancelled at short notice. Fire crews will remain on site until safe to leave. 28/03/14 MEDIA CONTACT Georgia Gowing Senior Media Adviser Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Phone (08) 8204 9105 Mobile 0467 795 640 Email georgia.gowing@sa.gov.au www.environment.sa.gov.au www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au