Melbourne residents woke to a hazy Monday morning, with suburbs in the city’s east experiencing particularly unhealthy levels of smoke following a planned burn-off over the weekend.
The smell of smoke has wafted across the city for the past day with parts of the CBD – as well as the northern and eastern suburbs – covered in haze from a hazard reduction burn in the Yarra Ranges.
Various Country Fire Authority organisations on Sunday night moved to reassure residents that the smoke was to be expected, while VicEmergency at 9.37pm also advised residents there was no immediate threat.
“In case you were wondering where all the smoke has suddenly come from (because it was perfectly clear outside at 1830) it’s from the planned Burns in Montrose / Mt Evelyn Area,” Lilydale SES wrote on social media.
“Please take care of yourself, consider closing windows and having your reliever medications handy if you need them.
“Planned burns are important to keep fuel loads low, and it would seem the lower temperatures and change of wind direction has started moving the smoke Lilydale and Mooroolbark bound.”
The burn-off to the city’s east comes after Forest Fire Management Victoria announced last week that it planned to ramp up its prevention activities.
FFMVic and the Bureau of Meteorology co-ordinate the timing and location of controlled burns to ensure they are carried out when conditions are right.
Melbourne is expected to hit a high of 27 degrees on Monday with a shower or two developing.
Showers are also tipped for the rest of the week with a high of 29 degrees on Thursday.
