A prescribed burn is planned in Spring Mount Conservation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula today, Monday 18 October, weather conditions permitting.

The prescribed burn is scheduled to start at 12pm and should be complete by 4pm.

The Department for Environment and Water advises it will affect about two hectares of land in the north-eastern corner of the park.

This is an edge burn to treat areas of extreme fuel hazard ahead of the main operation, which will be undertaken at a later date.

The main operation will be a landscape protection burn to reduce the likelihood of the whole park burning in a single bushfire event.

No roads will be closed for this operation and the area is not expected to be impacted by smoke.

The burn will be carried out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NWPS). Local MFS and CFS will be in attendance. A crew will remain on site until it is safe to leave.

NPWS conducts a statewide program of prescribed burns to reduce the spread and intensity of bushfires, protect communities and enhance biodiversity.

Prescribed burning is just one tool used to reduce fuel loads across strategic areas of public and private land.

Prescribed burns will only be carried out when it is deemed safe to do so and may be cancelled at short notice if conditions change.