With people preparing their property for fire season, emergency services are urging landowners to register their burn-offs online through the Fire Permits Victoria website.
Spring is a common time for landowners to take advantage of the favourable weather conditions to conduct burning off activities, however up to 50 per cent aren't registering their burn-offs online, with many unnecessarily waiting on hold to register over the phone.
Triple Zero Victoria chief operating officer, Nicole Ashworth, said the quickest and easiest way to register your burn-off is by using the Fire Permits Victoria website at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au/notify.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said by registering your burn-off, it allows emergency services to verify the fire is not an emergency before unnecessarily calling out local brigades.
“It also allows us to display burn-offs on the CFA website so the public can see where a burn-off is taking place, preventing needless calls to Triple Zero (000)," he said.
Latest Stories
“Over the past year, CFA responded to nearly 900 escaped burn-offs, which utilised around 19,000 hours of our volunteers’ time.
"Please don’t leave your burn-off unattended and only burn-off when conditions are favourable.”
The website allows you to notify emergency services of your burn-off, and also check and apply for a permit, if necessary.
However, if your burn is taking place within the next two hours, you must register your burn via the phone line on 1800 668 511.
For more information about burning off safely, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/burnoff.
Before you register your burn-off make sure you:
• Follow regulations or laws by CFA and local council.
• Notify your neighbours if the burn will generate fire and smoke.
• Check the weather forecast for the day of the activity and a few days afterward.
• Postpone your activity if high fire risk conditions develop.
• Establish a gap in vegetation or fire break of no less than three metres cleared of all
flammable material.
• Have enough people to monitor, contain and extinguish the burn safely and effectively.
• Never leave a burn-off unattended.
