POLICY NO. 2/2007 FIRE TRAILS - NSW Rural Fire Service

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Notwithstanding their value in fire suppression, fire trails may have adverse impacts on environmental, social and economic values. These impacts may include: • Illegal activities taking advantage of improved access, such as arson, dumping, trespassing, bush rock/soil and vegetation removal. • Increased public access of a legal nature such as use of trail bikes and 4WDs, which may lead to soil erosion and accelerated track degradation, noise nuisance and public safety hazards. • Degradation of native vegetation and biodiversity through edge effects and habitat fragmentation, weed and pest invasion. • Soil erosion and degradation of water quality, siltation of watercourses and storages. • Damage to cultural heritage items and places. • Cost of construction and maintenance. The BFCC’s interest in fire trails is limited to fire management purposes. It is recognised that many fire trails are used for other purposes as well. Classification of Fire Trails Fire trails need to be identified and identifiable in a consistent way so as to convey to fire management personnel the condition, purpose and accessibility of the fire trail. BFMCs must determine which access ways in their area are to be classed as ‘fire trails’. This decision is to be reached by consensus, with a view to the entire fire access network within the area, and adjoining areas where this is relevant (e.g. a main link road entering the BFMC’s area from the neighbouring BFMC area). Once the fire trails are identified, they are to be classified on the basis of strategic importance and vehicle carrying capacity, as specified below. Two sets of classifications are to be made for each fire trail: on current circumstances, and on desired future circumstances. Many trail classifications will be the same in both circumstances. Two classifications are required so that the current condition information is available for use during fire fighting operations, while the desired future condition information is essential for the BFMC and land owner/managers to make strategic decisions about ongoing management, maintenance and upgrading. The difference between existing and desired future condition may involve a classification going up (e.g. from important to essential), but may also include a classification going down (e.g. from important to dormant because another, more strategically useful trail has been upgraded taking over the main role of the first trail). Strategic Classification Essential: This is a fire trail without which fire response and suppression in an area would be severely compromised. All reasonable efforts must be made to ensure that this trail is trafficable to the agreed vehicle carrying capacity at all times. Sudden problems such as tree falls and land slips should be rectified as soon as identified. This trail should be checked on occasions throughout each year, and particularly before the commencement of the local bush fire season. Bush Fire Coordinating Committee – Policy No. 2/2007 Adopted by the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee – Minute No. 26/2007 Page 2 of 14
Physical barriers to vehicle access must not be deliberately installed, unless they are readily broached by fire fighters. That is, a locked gate with key access for fire fighters would be acceptable; fixed bollards, felled trees, piles of rock and the like would not be acceptable, as the obstruction cannot be removed by a fire fighting crew without additional machinery. Important: This is a fire trail that is required for fire management. If this trail was unusable due to temporary circumstances, other trails could be used to contain a fire, albeit with some loss of fire management efficiency. This trail should be trafficable to the agreed vehicle carrying capacity at all times. This trail should be checked before the commencement of the local bush fire season. Dormant: This is a track or trail that has been used at some time in the past, but where there is no requirement for it to be constantly maintained in a trafficable state. Vehicle Carrying Capacity This policy is limited to the criteria required to specify the vehicle carrying capacity of various roads, tracks and trails used for fire management purposes. This is about whether a vehicle can physically pass from A to B, not whether it will be safe to do so in certain fire conditions. The decision as to whether or not to use a trail under fire conditions must be made by the officer in charge at the time of the fire, taking into account prevailing conditions. Cat 1: This is a fire trail that can be safely traversed by a Category 1 fire fighting appliance. Cat 7: This is a fire trail that can be safely traversed by a Category 7 fire fighting appliance. Cat 9: This is a fire trail that can be safely traversed by a Category 9 fire fighting appliance. Information on how to assess vehicle carrying capacity is provided at Annex A. Fire Trail Registers Bush Fire Management Committees must regularly maintain and update a Fire Trail Register for their area of responsibility. Fire Trail Registers record information for administrative, planning and operational purposes including location, strategic value and vehicle carrying capacity. Fire trail registers are to be created and maintained in BRIMS. Fire trail register specifications are provided at Annex B. A component of the fire trail register is a map. This map is not to be available to the general public, due to the sensitivity of information it may contain, and the desire of landowners to prevent unauthorised use of the trails so identified. The BFMC must discuss and agree on an adequate fire access network for its area, across all land tenures. This network is to include all types of access, including fire trails. The network must be agreed on the basis of both existing and desired future standards. In identifying fire trails, consideration should be given to the entire fire access network. Existing tracks and trails may not be suitable for continued use and maintenance as fire trails, and consideration should be given to reconstruction or realignment to achieve safer use or avoid environmentally sensitive areas, or closure and rehabilitation of trails that are not required or which have ongoing significant adverse environmental impacts. New trails may be proposed and constructed. Land owner/managers may make recommendations to the BFMC about the information to be recorded in the fire trail register about trails on their estate. The BFMC must reach a decision as to the names and categories assigned to the trails. These decisions are to be reached by consensus. Bush Fire Coordinating Committee – Policy No. 2/2007 Adopted by the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee – Minute No. 26/2007 Page 3 of 14
Page 1: Policy Cancellation POLICY NO. 2/20
Page 5 and 6: • Strategic importance of the tra
Page 7 and 8: Category 9: This is a fire trail th
Page 9 and 10: Field Name Field Type Comment/Descr
Page 11 and 12: Annex D to BFCC Policy No. 2/2007 F
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POLICY NO. 2/2007 FIRE TRAILS - NSW Rural Fire Service

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