CFA urges residents to prepare for bushfires

VICTORIA observed Fire Action Week last week, and the CFA is urging Victorians to prepare themselves and their properties for this year’s bushfire season.

With above-average rain fall forecast from now to December, this year’s fire season has the potential to be dominated by grassfires, with shorter fires in grass and dry forests during hotter and windier days.

CFA acting chief officer Garry Cook said any bushfire season in Victoria had the potential to be a bad one, and warned against complacency.

“Preparing your property means you minimise the chance of property damage during a fire, even if you plan to leave early.

“Keep trees, overhanging branches and shrubs to a minimum near your home, and keep grass shorter than 10cm.

“Move your winter wood pile away from the house and clear debris from gutters.

“A big clean-up before the fire season can make a huge difference to the safety and survival of your home in a bushfire.”

He said people also needed to plan and prepare for their personal safety by understanding their risk and having a fire plan.

“Plan for all situations by talking to your family and friends about your triggers to leave, where you’ll go and how you’ll get there.

“Get into the habit of checking Fire Danger Ratings on the VicEmergency website or app daily to understand the fire risk in your area.

“It’s up to all of us to stay informed by using more than one source of information, understanding the three levels of warnings, what they mean and what you should do.”

In the lead-up to summer, CFA will be running Fire Safety Essentials online sessions to help Victorians understand their fire risk and help you prepare.

For more information about bushfire planning and preparation, and about leaving early, head to cfa.vic.gov.au.

The state government also announced last week that Melburnians could now undertake emergency preparation activities at properties they own in regional Victoria, after obtaining a letter of support from the relevant council.

The City of Greater Geelong council did not have the application process operational last week, but is reviewing the guidelines provided by Local Government Victoria.

“We appreciate there are many residents from metropolitan Melbourne that have not been able to see their regional properties for some time, and who will be wanting to undertake important emergency preparation activities for the flood or fire season,” city chief executive officer Martin Cutter said.

“City officers are liaising with the Victorian Government to work through the requirements as quickly as possible.

“Where possible, we encourage metropolitan Melbourne residents to engage one of the many local contractors in the region to complete these preparedness tasks at their regional properties.”

For the latest updates, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/covid19/default.aspx.