Take care in our state forests this long weekend

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic)

With thousands of Victorians expected to make the most of the long weekend by exploring beautiful parks, forests and reserves, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is asking visitors to plan ahead and enjoy their trip.

It’s the middle of summer, so if it’s hot or windy, use common sense and don’t light a campfire.

If you do have a campfire, it’s your responsibility to know the rules when building and maintaining your campfire. Before you leave, please make sure it’s fully extinguished with water, not soil – if it’s cool to touch it’s safe to leave.

We are urging people to be careful, especially when it comes to campfires, as gusty winds will easily carry embers from a campfire into the bush.

Any fires that start this weekend could spread quickly, so people should monitor the conditions and use the VicEmergency app and listen to local emergency radio stations in case of bushfire, storms or flooding.

We’re asking visitors to be extra careful when visiting our parks, forests and reserves. Parts of the state have been and is still impacted by recent heavy rainfall and flooding. Please take care, drive slowly and follow any closures. Before you travel, check the FFMVic and Parks Victoria closure pages.

“Whether you’re camping, walking, riding or driving, weekends are a great opportunity to discover beautiful parks, forests and reserves,” Grampians Deputy Chief Fire Officer Jason Hellyer said.

“We want people to enjoy forests, but with seven unattended campfires found across the Grampians region in the last two weeks, FFMVic are reminding visitors to follow campfire safety rules to make sure the bush is healthy and safe for everyone to enjoy.”

With some careful planning, we can work together to make sure we keep bushland healthy and safe for everyone to enjoy.

Authorised officers will patrol areas so everyone can have a safe and enjoyable weekend – but they can’t be everywhere. Report unattended campfires to 136 186 and call 000 to report a bushfire.

For more information on campfire safety rules and forest regulations, visit https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/permits-and-regulations/fire-restrictions-and-regulations.