CFA has declared Total Fire Bans across the Wimmera and Mallee districts for Monday, 30 November.
High winds and heat will also push Fire Danger Ratings into Severe for the Mallee and Wimmera. The rating is Very High for the rest of the state except for Gippsland and the North East which are both High.
“Although it has been a mild weekend we potentially have a dangerous fire day tomorrow in the north-west,” Mr Buffone said.
Between 00:01AM and 11.59PM on Monday no fire can be lit in the open air or be allowed to remain alight in the open air.
Mr Buffone urged families and households in fire risk areas to make sure they had covered all the key decisions about what will they will do if they have to leave quickly.
“It’s no good to have only one person who understands the fire plan – every single member of your household needs to understand what will happen and what their responsibilities are,” he said.
“If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to get prepared: sit down and have a conversation with your household, including your kids.”
Mr Buffone also asked farmers to take care during farming operations and to double or triple check any previous burn offs.
“With conditions worsening, we need all Victorians to ensure private burn-offs are 100 per cent extinguished,” he said.
“We have seen several fires reignited from a private burn-off. In some cases, this has been several days after they were thought to be extinguished.”
He said farmers should also be aware of haystack fires particularly after a spate in the last few weeks which has resulted in the loss of machinery.
The community can help by reporting any reckless or suspicious behaviour by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or by visiting www.crimestoppers.com.au.
Fire information can be found from:
- ABC local radio, commercial and designated radio stations or Sky News
- The FireReady App – which sends push notifications for incidents, Total Fire Bans and Fire Danger Ratings
- www.emergency.vic.gov.au
- Victorian Bushfire Information Line 1800 240 667
- CFA and Vic Emergency Twitter and Facebook accounts
Author: CFA Media