A Total Fire Ban (TFB) has been declared for the Mallee tomorrow, Thursday 2 December 2021.
Tomorrow’s conditions in the Mallee will be hot and windy, with temperatures reaching into the mid- to high-30s. Strong northerly winds have been forecast early, before shifting to strong westerly and south westerly winds.
A Fire Danger Rating of Severe is forecast for the Mallee tomorrow, with a Very High Fire Danger Rating forecast for the Wimmera, High for Northern Country and South West, and Low-Moderate for the remainder of the state.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said this is the second time in as many weeks that a Total Fire Ban has been declared in the Mallee.
“Tomorrow’s hot weather, along with winds that will be gusting up to 55kph, will see fire danger ratings spike in the Mallee,” he said.
“People need to take heed of the conditions and adhere to Total Fire Ban restrictions.”
While this year’s fire season outlook indicates a lower risk of prolonged bushfires, grass and crop fires remain a high risk across the state after average-above average rainfall and strong fuel growth.
“Overall, we’ve had milder conditions leading into this fire season, but we can’t afford to be complacent about these hot and windy days where the fire danger spikes.
“Grass and crop fires are prevalent this season and can move at speeds of up to 25km per hour and jump highways,” Chief Officer Heffernan said
A Total Fire Ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the Total Fire Ban.
Strict rules also apply to the operation of farm machinery, chainsaws and lawn mowers, and residents in Mallee and Wimmera in particular are encouraged to take extreme care tomorrow.
Farmers undertaking harvesting are encouraged to follow a Voluntary Grain Harvesting Guide developed by CFA and Victorian Farmers Federation that recommends ceasing harvesting at suggested triggers.
Victorians should also make sure they have access to more than one source of information in the event of an emergency, including:
- ABC local radio, commercial and designated community radio stations, or Sky News
- The VicEmergency App, website www.emergency.vic.gov.au and Hotline 1800 226 226
Victorians can find out “Can I or Can’t I?” information at cfa.vic.gov.au/can or by calling VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226. All burn-offs should be registered online at firepermits.vic.gov.au or with the VicFire Burn-off notification line on 1800 668 511.