While it has not been enough to break the drought, winter rain has given firefighters hope ahead of this year's bushfire season.
The increased moisture in the soil and vegetation has meant more hazard-reduction burns in August in key areas in southern Queensland, including state forests.
"We're getting some really beautiful low intensity fires with mosaic burning patterns," explained John Welke, acting Area Director Queensland Rural Fire Service (QRFS).
After the intense bushfires of the 2019–20 season, authorities are cautiously optimistic ahead of this year's season.
"Last year we had poor soil moisture, the timber was stressed, and it made hazard reduction burning almost impossible," Mr Welke said.
"This time last year we were well and truly pulling up stumps on this sort of activity and whilst 10 and 20mm falls are not enough to break the drought, it's enough to keep moisture in the surface and vegetation, and it gives us small windows of opportunities to engage in strategic hazard reduction."
'We're in a good place'
Park rangers have been buoyed by the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook for August to November.
"Every fire season is different, but we're in a pretty good place this time of the year," said Nathan Willis, senior ranger for the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
"We've conducted numerous planned burns, and finding the fire intensity is greatly reduced at this point in the season."
The controlled burns in state forests have also given new recruits an opportunity for hands-on training.
"Thankfully from the last fire season we've seen a significant spike in recruitment," Mr Welke said.
"We've seen more than 150 new firefighters trained just on the Darling Downs.
"When people join up they want to get out there and ride a fire truck, and having some milder weather conditions has certainly made that a lot easier."
'Be ready'
While the conditions are looking more favourable than last year, and there are more firefighters, the QRFS is asking landholders to stay vigilant.
"It's still important people seize this golden opportunity to construct fire breaks, remove debris and vegetation from around the property, and making sure the water supply is sufficient," Mr Welke said.
"The last thing we want to see is complacency creeping in.
"Certainly, this year is shaping up to be a very different season to last year, and hopefully you won't have to enact your bushfire plan, but have one ready."
