The Fire Danger Period (FDP) is now in effect for the Mitchell Shire community until further notice.
Nearby and neighbouring areas, such as the City of Whittlesea, Macedon Ranges, Strathbogie Shire, Murrindindi, and Greater Bendigo shires have also enforced the FDP, with warmer, dry weather slowly but surely approaching.
The FDP is a time when the Country Fire Authority (CFA) imposes restrictions on the use of fire within the community to help reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading.
The FDP applies to everyone in the community, whether in town or on a farm. However, residents are often unsure about when it’s safe to burn off or use fire, leading to some confusion about the restrictions.
Barbecues and burn-offs can often be a grey area, but with the CFA’s ‘Can I or Can’t I?’ guide, residents can now easily determine what is allowed and stay informed about fire safety regulations during the FDP and on Total Fire Ban days.
During the FDP, burn-offs can only be permitted if a person has a FDP permit issued by the CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), or a Municipal Fire Prevention Officer, depending on the location of the activity.
Following a successful application, residents must comply with the conditions of the permit, and ensure that a person is always present while the fire is alight and has the means to extinguish it. The fire must be fully extinguished before leaving.
Fines for burning off during this time without a permit include up to 120 penalty units and/or up to 12 months’ jail.
Kilmore Fire Brigade Captain Hayden Dally emphasised the importance of following the guide, highlighting that CFA volunteers rely on the community’s cooperation to prevent fires.
“Basically, we need to tell everyone that the CFA are volunteers. If you do burn off, you’re pulling volunteers away from their families and everything else,” he said.
“If people want to have a barbecue and they think it’s going to create smoke in that, we’d like to see them register it, because that stops us getting called.
“If people are unsure, they can go onto the CFA website and get a brochure, or look up ‘Can I, or Can’t I?’—that will tell you what you can do and can’t do throughout the fire danger period.”
Kilmore Fire Brigade Community Engagement Officer and volunteer firefighter Paul Duff highlighted that a major challenge in the shire was the growing population, with many newcomers never having to consider fire safety or emergency preparedness before.
“Our major source of fires most years is people mowing, welding machines, grinders, and that’s on the edge of the town, or people in the town,” he said.
To apply for a permit to use fire anywhere in Victoria, refer to www.firepermits.vic.gov.au.
To find out what you can and can’t do during the FDP, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/can or call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
