General News
17 November, 2022
Prepare properties now for fire season
While the Fire Danger Period is yet to be declared for the Central Goldfields Shire and surrounds, residents are being urged to prepare their properties now for the up-coming fire season. The fire season has been delayed due to weeks of heavy rain...
While the Fire Danger Period is yet to be declared for the Central Goldfields Shire and surrounds, residents are being urged to prepare their properties now for the up-coming fire season.
The fire season has been delayed due to weeks of heavy rain thanks to the return of a La Niña weather pattern, and the CFA don’t expect to see the extreme fires of three years ago, but warn communities can become complacent.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said CFA is preparing for this year’s fire season and is encouraging Victorians to do their part by preparing their properties and fire plans.
“There are so many simple actions Victorians can take and repeat to keep their property safe from bush or grassfires,” he said.
“Most of them are basic chores such as clearing your gutters, picking up loose leaves and twigs, pruning tree branches so they aren’t overhanging the roof or touching the walls of your property, or even just keeping your lawn under 10 centimetres tall.
“We know most of the state has experienced normal to above normal rainfall, which will lead to increased vegetation growth, so it’s important to keep maintaining your property into summer.
“It only takes one bad day to have a bad fire season so we need to stay vigilant this spring and summer.”
CFA property preparation tips include:
• Move your winter woodpile away from the house or sheds
• Prune tree branches so they are not overhanging the roof or touching walls
• Clear your gutters
• Keep grass shorter than 10cm
• Remove leaves and twigs from around your property
• Prune back plants and garden beds near doors and windows
• Test any systems that are part of your fire plan such as sprinklers, pumps and generators
• Check that your home and contents insurance is current and includes a level of cover in line with increased building standards and regulations in bushfire risk areas.
• If you are burning off to remove green waste, register your burn-off online at Fire Permits Victoria www.firepermits.vic.gov.au
• Make sure your household has a bushfire survival plan.
For more tips on preparing your home and creating a bushfire survival plan visit www.cfa.vic .gov.au
Victorians are also reminded that there is now a new fire danger rating system in place, which is nationally consistent across every state and territory.
The system reduces the number of fire danger levels from six in the previous system to four: Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic.