Fire Danger Period begins for four municipalities

THE Fire Danger Period for the 2018/19 summer has begun for the Surf Coast Shire, Borough of Queenscliffe, City of Greater Geelong and Golden Plains Shire.

The FDP – under which a written permit is required to burn off grass, undergrowth, weeds or other vegetation – officially started at 1 am on Monday.

CFA District 7 operations manager Mick McGuinness said the seasonal bushfire outlook for Southern Australia released in early September suggested the fire season in Victoria would start earlier than usual and be more active than normal due to warmer and drier conditions.

Parts of Victoria have already experienced grass and bushfires, and the introduction of the FDP to parts of Gippsland on September 10 was the earliest date on record.

“The warmer and drier than average weather over recent months, teamed with recent rainfall causing growth in pasture and roadsides means residents need to be prepared for the imminent fire season,”Mr  McGuinness said.

“Reducing fuel loads will ensure that if a fire does occur, it has less chance of taking hold or spreading.

“While CFA and its partner agencies Parks Victoria, Forest Fire Management, DELWP and Emergency Management Victoria are doing everything we can to prepare for the bushfire season, we look to the community to use common sense and take responsibility for preventing fires.”

Mr McGuinness said there was still a small window of opportunity to clean up your property if you hadn’t already done so. “Out of control burn-offs and unregistered burnoffs are a major and avoidable headache for brigades.

“Avoid burning off when high winds are forecast – not only on the day of your burn but for the days afterwards.

“For information about burn-off restrictions specific to your area, consult your local council.”

FDP information and restrictions are published online at cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/restrictions-during-the-fire-danger-period.

Victorians can find out “Can I or Can’t I?” information at cfa.vic.gov.au/warningsrestrictions/can or by phoning Vic Emergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.

All burn-offs should be registered with theVicFire Burn-off notification line on 1800 668 511.