Fire fighting hindered by Wheel Cactus infestation
Many of us are familiar with the destructive environmental impact of wheel cactus in our area. Some have volunteered for years in controlling this weed and take responsibility on their own and other properties, however, there are still properties in our area with significant infestations of wheel cactus. Possibly, some landowners may not have considered the problems created by wheel cactus in a fire situation.
In a recent fire emergency in Baringhup, CFA volunteers were confronted with a situation made very difficult by the many large mature wheel cactus plants on one of the properties they were working from. This dense infestation of wheel cactus created a dangerous situation for the CFA volunteers. Combined with smoke affecting visibility and high-pressure hoses, the wheel cactus infected terrain became very challenging for the volunteers and trucks. As CFA Captain Brendan McKnight commented “Wheel cactus is an OH&S issue for the CFA. It is another risk factor in a situation that is already full of risk; just ask the poor bloke who fell onto a large wheel cactus while we were dealing with the fire”.
This fire incident has highlighted yet another reason why landowners need to control infestations of wheel cactus of their property. Tarrangower Cactus Control Group encourages all landowners to keep their property safe by treating their Wheel Cactus plants. Please contact us via the contact tab for advice and assistance.
