Prescribed burn at Cherry Gardens substation

Date posted: 06 May 2021

A prescribed burn is planned for a block of vegetation directly south of the Cherry Gardens electricity substation on Electranet land approximately 2.3 km north east of Clarendon in the Mt Lofty Ranges, on Friday 7 May 2021, weather conditions permitting.

  • The prescribed burn will start at 12 noon and should be complete by 7 pm.
  • It will affect about 5.9 hectares within the park.
  • The objective of the burn is asset protection.
  • The burn is planned across private (ElectraNet) land surrounding the Cherry Gardens substation. The substation is identified as an asset at high risk with major consequences if impacted by a bushfire. Impacts to several lines at once by a bushfire would have major consequences to the states power supply.
  • The burn forms part of a program of burns to be undertaken in the area to reduce risk to the powerlines posed by bushfire.
  • No road closures, however, there will be crews operating along Frith Road.
  • Prescribed burn signs will be in place on the road notifying traffic of the operation.
  • Formby, Frith and Lafferty Roads may be impacted by smoke.
  • Some smoke and fire activity may be observed on the day and following the burn and will be patrolled by NPWS until it is safe.

The burn will be carried out by NPWS as part of the Mt Lofty Ranges Fire Co-operative prescribed burn program. Local CFS Volunteers have been invited to attend. A crew will remain on site until it is safe to leave.

NPWS conducts a statewide program of prescribed burns to reduce the spread and intensity of bushfires, protect communities and enhance biodiversity. Prescribed burning is just one tool used to reduce fuel loads across strategic areas of public and private land.

Prescribed burns will only be carried out when it is deemed safe to do so and may be cancelled at short notice if conditions change.

For the most up-to-date information on prescribed burns follow @SAENVIRWATER on Twitter.

A list of planned prescribed burns is available on the DEW website.