Australia Snow Weapons Able to Battle Forest Fires
1st January 2025
Mt Buller in Victoria has greater than 300 snowmaking weapons positioned across the ski space.
They can be utilized to guard the resort, buildings, chairlifts and treasured alpine habitat within the case of a bushfire.
Along with the snowguns there are everlasting sprinklers on prime of key infrastructure together with buildings and lifts to guard these property within the occasion of a fireplace menace.
The snowguns spray water beneath excessive stress – which is used to make snow within the winter months – and in summer time can work as a large sprinkler system pumping water throughout the mountain to forestall the unfold of fireplace.
The snowguns may be turned on robotically from the pump management room or remotely utilizing tablets, making certain water may be pumped rapidly and effectively to the place it’s wanted, preserving folks out of harmful areas.
The water comes from the Solar Valley dam.
“This method permits us to pump round 1 megalitre of water every hour throughout the resort space if we’re confronted with the specter of a fireplace,” mentioned the Ski Lifts’ Basic Supervisor, Noel Landry.
“We’ve labored intently with our suppliers and tailored the snowmaking system so it could possibly do that vital job for our group and the mountain every hearth season, in addition to delivering important snow cowl in our winter months.
“I’d wish to acknowledge the good work of our snowmaking and mountain operations groups for making ready the mountain forward of summer time and being able to defend our group and setting if the necessity arises.
Mt Buller’s ARV Basic Supervisor, Alan Arthur, mentioned the snowmaking system additionally labored to guard a few of Mt Buller’s most endangered residents.
“Along with defending key buildings and infrastructure, the snowmaking weapons will assist the resort unfold assets to guard vital habitat equivalent to protected vegetation and our Mountain Pygmy-Possum colony,” he mentioned.
Mt Buller, Picture © PlanetSKI
