Five months on, rural landholders in northern Queensland are still feeling the impact of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi. Destructive winds and high rainfall from the cyclone have resulted in higher than normal fuel loads from fallen timber and new growth, and few opportunities to clear up debris and establish fire breaks. Yasi's legacy is a potentially serious wildfire season.

A fire plan tailored to landholder aspirations and property conditions will help to reduce the impact of wildfire. To help with this, the Northern Gulf, NQ Dry Tropics and Terrain Natural Resource Management groups, with the assistance of environmental science firm Firescape Science and funding from Caring for Country, have put together a 'Show-bag' of fire information resources. These are available free of charge to landholders in the cyclone-affected area.

The Show-bag brings together practical information from a number of sources and puts it at your finger tips, including a detailed step-by-step guide to compiling a fire plan for your property, guides to estimating fuel load, a list of useful web sites, background material on the role of fire in land management and even an interactive CD for the kids.

Fire information show-bags will be available soon from your local industry extension officer, but if you would like one earlier, please call Firescape Science on 4091 1289.

We would like your feedback and ideas about fire management issues in the area. Let us know through your extension officer or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .