Insurers are concerned drought conditions across much of Victoria and NSW will lead to another severe bushfire season, and winter burn-offs are possibly doing more harm than good. But the insurance industry is “more than capable” of dealing with such potential disasters, says Insurance Disaster Response Organisation National Co-ordinator Chris Henri.

Insurers have always advised policyholders to use July to burn off any vegetation or leaf matter that may act as fuel for bushfires in the warmer months, but it seems this preventative measure is causing more harm than good. The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) says high winds and dry conditions across the state have caused some burn-offs to get out of control.

RFS Commissioner Phil Koperberg says a combination of erratic weather patterns, winds of more than 80kmh and dry conditions have caused bushfires to burn in temperatures below zero. “We are asking people to refrain from lighting fires… unless there is absolutely no chance of escape.”

Mr Henri told Sunrise Exchange News the fires have meant firefighters are using precious summer water reserves to extinguish the blazes. “This will probably have an effect on them when the big bushfires burn during summer.”

But he says this problem is nothing new for the local insurance industry. He says apart from the recent big natural disasters like the 1999 Sydney hailstorm and the 2002 Canberra bushfires, Australia’s natural disasters are globally rated “medium to low” in terms of severity.

“Local insurers, particularly domestic insurers, have a lot of experience in dealing with natural disasters. They are well-primed to deal with events, whether it’s a storm or an earthquake.”