Keep your drone away from bushfires

EMERGENCY Management Victoria has issued a warning to the media and the public about flying drones near or over bushfires, as firefighters continue to try to bring them under control across the state.

The recent bushfires across Victoria have generated a lot of interest in capturing images during and after the fires.

EMV says to ensure the safety of people near the fire ground, as well as emergency personnel, permission must be sought through the State Control Centre or the Incident Control Centre prior to arriving on the fire ground.

Emergency services are working hard to gain the upper hand of the three main fires still burning in Gippsland, while other crews work to ensure areas with hazardous trees are safe before being able to provide access again.

“Wherever possible we try to provide media with access to areas of interest, but we need to ensure it is it safe to do so. Your safety and the safety of our crews is our priority,” EMV state response controller Tim Wiebusch said.

“Trees in fire-affected areas pose a significant risk of falling branches. While some closures of roads or tracks may be inconvenient, we ask for your patience as we work to reopen them as soon as possible.”

Media and the public are reminded to never fly a drone near bushfires or where emergency aircraft are operating as it can pose a major danger to fire crews and will force water bombing aircraft and other emergency services aircraft to cease operations.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) enforces strict regulations for flying drones and drone operators should familiarise themselves with Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations.

Victorians can get emergency information from a number of sources including the VicEmergency app, emergency.vic.gov.au, tuning in to ABC radio or other emergency broadcasters including commercial and community radio stations or Sky TV or by phoning the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 and following VicEmergency on Facebook and Twitter.