THE Fire Danger Period in the Buloke and Swan Hill municipalities will finish on Tuesday, as fire authorities warn campers to there will be zero tolerance with it comes to fire on the long weekend.
CFA acting chief fire officer Gavin Wright emphasised that although the the fire danger period was coming to an end, it was important to remain vigilant.
He said that a zero tolerance policy would continue to be enforced for those people responsible for illegal fires.
“Residents that wish to conduct burn offs on their private properties need to follow some basic rules; register your burn offs first and foremost, check weather conditions and monitor the wind, and follow local council laws and regulations,” he said.
Mr Wright also highlighted the need for landowners to openly communicate with authorities and neighbours.
“CFA crews have been busy this fire season and would like to avoid having to respond to false alarms because people are not registering their burn offs. By registering your burn-off, when somebody reports that they’ve spotted smoke, the incident will be cross-checked with the burn-off register and will prevent a CFA crew from having to respond to a false alarm that takes them away from family, friends, work and other potential emergencies.”
Landowners can still register their burn-off with the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) on 1800 668 511 or emailing burnoffs@esta.vic.gov.au.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan urged Victorians to stay informed about fire conditions and keep bushfire plans up-to-date as days of elevated fire danger could occur well into autumn.
“While Victoria has experienced a milder fire season than average and the Australian Seasonal Outlook for autumn forecasts average to below-average fire risk in the state during March to May, fires can still start and spread quickly – particularly on hot, dry and windy days,” he said.
“Milder conditions are no excuse to ignore campfire safety and leave campfires unattended. Our crews are often called out to abandoned campfires and it’s crucial the community works with us to prevent bushfires from starting and spreading.”
Unattended campfires should be reported to 136 186.
