Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world, so everyone could be affected by a fire at some time. Understand your level of risk to learn what to do before and during a fire.
Risk of fire
Fire risk is most extreme if you live around or near forest or woodland. If you know your risk, it will also help you to start preparing your property for fire and know what to do.
Understanding how fire behaves is another great step to be prepared. Bushfires are unpredictable. They vary according to the local conditions, but the worst ones will start on hot, dry, windy days.
CFA has a wealth of resources to help you understand your fire risk and know what to do before and during a fire. One of the best ways to start planning is to look at where you live.
Community Information Guides are great information for communities in high bushfire risk areas. They help you be aware your local area’s plans for bushfire and how everyone works together.
CFA run Bushfire Preparation Meetings and planning workshops to help you develop your own fire survival plan. Find a meeting near you to discuss topics on managing bushfire risk, and make contacts.
As a quick start, you can take the FireReady Quiz - 10 simple questions to get you on the road to being FireReady.
Leaving early
'Leaving early' means being away from high risk areas before there are any signs of fire. It does not mean waiting for a warning or a siren. It does not mean waiting to see or smell smoke. It’s up to you to decide where you will go on a fire risk day. Don’t wait and see.
Leave and live - Leaving early is the safest way to survive a bushfire. People die during bushfires trying to leave their homes at the last minute.
On fire risk days – leaving early - A handy template to help you develop a 'leaving early' bushfire plan. Use it together with our 'Your Guide to Survival' publication.
Pets and fires - Things to consider to help keep your pet safe.
What to take with you - How to put your emergency kit together.
People who need help leaving - If you
- are frail or elderly or
- have a physical disability, or
- have problems thinking clearly or acting quickly under stress,
you may need help.
When it's too late to leave early - Plan and know your survival options if leaving early is no longer an option. Know your shelter and survival options if a fire is in your area and you cannot leave.
What if you’re travelling
Safety while touring or travelling - Use CFA's Traveller's Checklist when travelling. And never travel into any high-risk bushfire area where a Catastrophic day has been declared.
Fire Danger Ratings and Total Fire Bans
Total Fire Bans and Fire Danger Ratings are mainly both determined by weather. But they exist for different reasons.
Total Fire Bans - set restrictions on what activities can or can not occur in a particular district for that day. Total Fire Bans are declared on days when fires are likely to spread quickly and could be difficult to control. They aim to reduce the activities that may start a fire.
Fire Danger Ratings - predict fire behaviour should a fire start, and how hard it will be to put out. They tell you how dangerous a fire would be if one started. The higher the rating the more dangerous the conditions.
Turn on the Fire Danger Ratings on the map and look at the rating for the next four days.
Find out what you can and can't do during the declared Fire Danger Period, and on days of Total Fire Ban, when fires in the open air are legally restricted.
VicEmergency app
The VicEmergency app aligns with the VicEmergency website to provide a centralised location for Victorians to access timely emergency information and warnings.
The app includes warnings and incident notifications for fire, flood, storm, earthquake, tsunami, weather warnings, shark sightings, beach closures and more. To receive location specific app alerts when warnings are issued or incidents occur, you need to set up your watch zones.
You can download VicEmergency from the App Store or Google Play.
