Bushfire safety
Victoria's breathtaking scenery and diverse natural environments are a great excuse to leave the cities and explore the mountains, coastal regions and rural areas. However, Victoria is also one of the most fire prone areas of the world and bushfire risk is high.
During the Victorian bushfire season (November to April) it is important to follow this bushfire safety advice, to ensure that your visit to regional Victoria is safe and enjoyable.
Bushfire Risk
Bushfires occur when temperatures are high and the relative humidity is low. A high fire danger day is typically hot and windy, and the air is dry.
Bushfires need vegetation to burn, so they occur in areas where there are lots of trees, scrub or dry grass. Bushfires may occur in forests, coastal scrub, grassland and farm areas. These are commonly known as “bushfire-prone” areas.
Beware of radiant heat
Radiant heat is invisible heat that comes from a fire. It travels in straight lines well ahead of the flames and is the biggest killer when people are caught in the open.
Radiant heat is the warmth you feel from a campfire, a radiator heater, or the flame from a gas stovetop - but could be up to 50,000 times more intense in a major bushfire.
Radiant heat cannot travel through solid objects, so you can get some protection by ensuring there is a solid barrier between you and the fire. Remember, your safest option is always to be well away from the fire threat.
The best way to protect yourself from radiant heat is to:
- Seek shelter at a previously identified safer place while the flames of the fire pass.
- Wear protective clothing – e.g. long sleeves and long pants made of natural fibres such as cotton, and sturdy shoes.
Before you travel
If you are intending to travel into or through bushfire-prone areas during the bushfire season, you must plan ahead:
- Check the weather forecast and Fire Danger Rating for areas you intend to visit.
- Be prepared to change your plans on hot, dry and windy days to avoid areas where bushfires might occur. On these days it may be better to visit lower risk places such as cities and towns.
- Check for current fire restrictions, including Total Fire Bans.
- Have a woollen blanket and drinking water in the car.
- Tune into your emergency broadcasters: ABC Local Radio, commercial radio stations and SKY News TV or visit cfa.vic.gov.au for the four-day fire danger outlook.
Fire Restrictions
We all need to be careful with fire, and activities that can start fires, in warmer months. Dry vegetation and hot weather increase the risk of accidental fire prompting the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to apply fire restrictions across most areas of Victoria. Fire restrictions are in force all year in State forests, National, State and Regional parks. Call the Parks Victoria Information Centre on Ph 131 963 or visit parkweb.vic.gov.au for advice on campfire restrictions.
Total Fire Bans are declared by the CFA on days when fires are likely to spread rapidly and be difficult to control. Total Fire Ban declarations are likely on days of Severe, Extreme and Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Ratings. On these days lighting any fire in the open air is prohibited and restrictions are in force.
Total Fire Bans are announced on radio and advertised widely.
Don’t accidentally start a fire by leaving a campfire smouldering, dropping a lit cigarette, or lighting dry grass with a hot car exhaust.
Fire Danger Ratings
A Fire Danger Rating is a prediction of fire behaviour, including the difficulty of putting out a fire once it starts.
Victoria is divided into nine fire weather districts. Fire Danger Ratings for each weather district will feature in weather forecasts and alert you to the actions you should take to be prepared. It will be published in newspapers, broadcast on radio and television, and posted online at cfa.vic.gov.au.
As you travel around Victoria, note which district you are in and the Fire Danger Rating for that district.
Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Rating Days
On days of Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Rating it is predicted that fires may be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving – flames will be higher than roof tops. Thousands of embers will be blown around. Spot fires will start, move quickly and come from many directions, 20km or more ahead of the fire.
If you are staying in a bushfire-prone area, the safest option is to leave the night before a day of Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Rating, or early in the morning, and return only when it is clearly safe to do so (keep monitoring weather forecasts, warnings and signs of fire activity).
To prepare for these days, contact your host or nearest accredited visitor information centre for alternative activities in lower risk locations, such as larger regional cities.
On days of Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Rating the best option is to avoid driving in bushfire-prone areas until the warning period is over. On these days it may be better to visit safer locations such as the Melbourne CBD, larger regional cities and towns.
The Fire Danger Ratings are a prediction of the impact a bushfire may have if it were to start. It is a type of warning you can use to determine what actions you should take. A Total Fire Ban declaration sets legal restrictions on what activities can or can not occur in that district for that day. It aims to reduce activities that may START a fire.
Forward booking in a bushfire prone area with Code Red Rating
If you have a forward booking in a bushfire-prone area that coincides with a day of Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Rating, the safest option is to avoid visiting the area until the warning period is over or at the very least, in the evening, if clearly safe to do so. Contact your host, listen to ABC Local Radio or other local radio, go to cfa.vic.gov.au or call the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667 to ensure that it is safe to visit.
