Key fire safety messages...
• On hot, dry, windy days, fires can start and spread quickly. If the fire danger rating is severe, extreme or code red, leaving early before a fire has started is the safest option. • If you wait and decide to leave after a fire has started, you risk driving your family through thick smoke, fallen trees and power lines, and face the danger of collisions, being trapped by fire, serious injury or death. • Understand your risk and plan ahead. Know what to do on hot, dry, windy days and plan for all situations. Talk to your family and friends about how you’ll know when to leave, where you’ll go and how you will get there. • Fire danger ratings tell you how dangerous a fire would be if one started. As the ratings increase, so does the risk of an uncontrollable and fast moving fire. A severe fire danger rating or higher should be your trigger to leave. To find out more about fire danger ratings visit cfa.vic.gov.au/ firedanger. • Never wait for an official warning before you leave, as you might not get one. Fires can start quickly and threaten homes and lives within minutes. Make sure you have a plan. • If you can see smoke or fire, driving is extremely dangerous. Thick smoke makes it hard to see, making traffic jams and collisions more likely. Keep roads clear for emergency services. • People have died trying to save their animals. To keep them safe, decide now what you will do with your pets and horses on hot, dry, windy days. • If you are travelling through bush or grasslands this summer, check the conditions for your destination and any areas you will travel through before you go. Listen to local radio for warnings and advice while you are on the road, and check conditions regularly throughout your stay. Download the Vicemergency app, visit emergency.vic.gov.au, and save the Vicemergency Hotline – 1800 226 226 – into your mobile phone. Never travel into bush or grassland areas where a code red has been forecast. • Preparing your property means you can minimise the chance of property damage during a fire; even if you plan to leave early. Find more information about property preparation at cfa.vic. gov.au • People have lost their homes due to simple things like embers landing on their doormat. Before you leave, remove anything that can burn away from your house.
Pets and horses
• When preparing for fire, also remember your pets. Have bedding, food and water ready to go and make sure you have safe transport when leaving early. Always put your own safety before the safety of your pets. Make sure your leave-early destination can accommodate your pets. • Make sure your pets can be identified easily. Microchip them and include your details such as your phone number on their collars.
• Have a plan for horses and livestock. A large, well-grazed area where they can move freely, with a supply of water is the safest. Remove all gear from horses and always keep them contained on your property. Open internal gates to allow horses room to move. Do not allow them off your property; they are at serious risk on roads where visibility will be poor. For more information visit cfa.vic.gov.au/pets.
Travellers
• Grassfires can move at speeds of up to 25 kmh and jump highways. Be aware of grassfires when you are travelling. All fires are dangerous. • You might not get phone reception across regional Victoria. Always check weather conditions and your fire risk before you leave home. • Do not drive into or through high risk areas on hot, dry, windy days. Plan an alternate route or delay your travel if possible. If travelling to a different part of the state for a holiday or work, check the fire danger ratings for all districts along your route and at your destination. Create a temporary watch zone on the Vicemergency App for the location you are visiting. • Seek information from locals, or an accredited Visitor Information Centre who might be able to suggest alternative holiday activities on high risk days. • Ensure you comply with any local requirements regarding campfires and barbecues in addition to the advice that can be found at cfa.vic.gov.au.