Fire Prevention
Subscribe
Print
EmailIn this article:
For all information about fires including current fires, fire prevention, new fire ratings and more, visit the CFA website.
For all emergencies, dial 000.
The City of Casey undertakes an ongoing program to minimise the risk of bushfire in the municipality. It is important for our residents to understand the preparations being made by the City of Casey, as well as other government organisations, such as the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). It is also important for residents to be able to easily find the information that they need to prepare themselves and their homes for the fire season.
Remember that the only way to guarantee you and your family’s safety is to not be in a fire risk area on a fire risk day. If travelling to other parts of Victoria, or going on holiday’s it is also important to be aware of any risks at the location of your visit.
Community Information Guides
Community Information Guides - Bushfire (formerly known as Township Protection Plans) are a key source of information for the community and an important tool to emphasise the shared responsibility between the community, fire services and local government. For an updated version of your community's Community Information Guides, referencing the community preparedness guide, please click on the below CFA linkUnderstanding Fire Danger Ratings
Victoria has adopted the nationally agreed Fire Danger Rating scale to help communities understand information about fire danger. It is important that you understand the Fire Danger Rating Scale so that you know when to enact any fire plans that you may have prepared.
Click here for more information regarding fire danger ratings.
Fire Danger Period Advisory Signs
Fire danger period advisory signs are located at major road entrances to the municipality, and at other strategic locations. They are provided by Council to inform the community that the declared fire danger period is in force, and to highlight the restrictions on the use of fire throughout the municipality. For locations of these signs, please refer to the Municipal Fire Prevention Plan.
CFA advertises the commencement of the fire danger period in local newspapers.
Click here for more information regarding Fire Danger Ratings.
Total fire bans
A total fire ban day is declared by the CFA to reduce the likelihood of a fire starting and/or spreading on days when the weather is predicted to be extreme. The Total Fire Ban comes into force at midnight and lasts until the following midnight.
You must not light any fires, or allow them to remain alight, on days of total fire ban. This includes campfires or any barbecue fuelled by solid fuel such as wood, charcoal or briquettes.
Download more information regarding Total Fire Ban Districts
To check if Central district has a total fire ban in force, visit the CFA website or call the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.
For general advice, and to find out more about what you can and can’t do on a total fire ban day, visit the CFA website.
Preparing to leave early plans for frail and elderly people
All Victorians should be prepared and ready to act if bushfire threatens. But some people may need help to prepare their fire plan and to leave early.
They could be a relative or a member of your community who may need help leaving early on a high fire risk day. If you live in a high risk bushfire area, then on a Severe, Extreme or Code Red fire day your only safe option could be to leave early – especially if you're frail or elderly, have a physical disability, or have problems thinking clearly or acting quickly under stress.
Click here for an editable pdf version of the CFA's bushfire survival plan.
Source: www.cfa.vic.gov.au
Total Fire Ban Districts
Victoria is divided into nine Fire Districts:
- Central (of which the City of Casey is a part)
- Mallee
- Wimmera
- South West
- Northern Country
- North Central
- North East
- East Gippsland
- West and South Gippsland
To check if Central district has a total fire ban in force, visit the CFA website or call the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.
Neighbourhood Safer Places
Every summer in Victoria, communities face the risk of bushfires. For residents of these areas, and for visitors, a comprehensive Bushfire Survival Plan is a vital tool for bushfire safety.
Fires like those of Black Saturday 2009 are fast and unpredictable. They can impact on communities with little warning, leaving no time for residents to enact their survival plans. In some cases, the conditions may be so severe that even well made plans fail leaving people, who are now under extreme threat, in need of a place of last resort.
The idea of a place of last resort has resulted in some locations in high bushfire-risk areas being identified as Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSP). These locations have been assessed by CFA and Council for their ability to provide some protection against radiant heat, one of the biggest killers in bushfires.
Despite the intense conditions likely to be experienced at a Neighbourhood Safer Place including strong winds, heat, noise, smoke and embers, they may provide some limited shelter to those under direct fire threat.
A full list of Neighbourhood Safer Places across the state is available from the CFA website or by calling the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.
Not all towns have a Neighbourhood Safer Place, and Council emphasises that where they do exist, they must only ever be considered as a place of last resort.
Council encourages every resident to have a Bushfire Survival Plan and to practise it. If you live in a high-risk area, plan to leave the night before on days of code red catastrophic fire danger. On days of severe or extreme fire danger, plan to leave early in the morning and plan ahead about where you can go.
Whilst Neighbourhood Safer Places may provide some protection, they should only ever be a last resort for you and your family. The safety or survival of those who gather at NSPs is not guaranteed.
More information
A quick reference fact sheet, Summer Planning for all Victorians is available from the Department of Human Services website to help you prepare for extreme heat and bushfire, and consider your relocation options.
Neighbourhood Safer Places Information Sheet
Neighbourhood Safer Places Q & A
Neighbourhood Safer Places Poster
Being Fire Ready: Summer Planning Fact Sheet
Making Victoria Fire Ready: preparing for Bushfire
Other CFA fire safety resources
Top 10 bushfire planning tips
-
Understand the environment in which you live - is your house surrounded by or near bush, grass or coastal scrub?
-
Assess whether your home has sufficient defendable space by using the CFA Household Bushfire Self-Assessment Tool - this will help you decide if staying to defend is an option.
-
Develop a written fire plan and find out if your local area has a Township Protection Plan. Your fire plan should include information about where you will shelter and practical steps to protect all members of the family including children and the elderly.
-
Practise your fire plan - if you plan to defend your home you will need to be physically capable and mentally strong.
-
Create and maintain as much defendable space around your home as possible by managing vegetation, including grass and shrubs. Changes to vegetation laws will help landowners clear property - for more information contact your local council or www.dse.vic.gov.au
-
Prepare your property - if you do not plan to stay to defend, good preparation and adequate defendable space will give your home a greater chance of surviving a bushfire
-
Gain an understanding of the new national Fire Danger Ratings and what the ratings mean for your fire plan.
-
Learn as much as you can about bushfire warnings and safety - attend a Fire Ready Community Meeting or visit the CFA website: www.cfa.vic.gov.au
-
Join or form a CFA Community Fire Guard group in your local area.
-
Update your home and contents insurance.
A Guide to Burning Off
The below brochure outlines permitting requirements for lighting fires on private properties in the City of Casey.
Click here to download the Guide to Burning Off
Bushfire Safety and Survival options
Click here to visit the Victorian Fire Commissioner's website for more information regarding bushfire safety and survival.
Fire prevention information for residents
Minister calls on Victorians to keep fire safe during winter - Premier of Victoria website
Preparing for bushfire in areas prone to landslip
Removing vegetation, particularly deep-rooted, long lasting trees and plants has a destabilising effect on the soil and is a major cause of landslips.
Casey Municipal Fire Management Plan
Application for a permit to burn by an individual outside the Fire Danger Period
Application for a permit to burn by an individual during the CFA declared Fire Danger Period (FDP)
Bushfire Royal Commission Final Report
Grass Slashing - Fire Prevention
Understanding Fire Danger Ratings
Reducing the fire risk around your property
Household Bushfire Self Assessment Tool
Fire Prevention Media Releases