A Total Fire Ban has been declared for Friday, 2 January 2015 for the following fire weather districts:
- Mallee
- Wimmera
- South West
- Northern Country
- North Central
- Central
- North East
- West and South Gippsland
A Total Fire Ban has also been declared for Saturday, 3 January 2015 for all weather districts across the state.
CFA State Duty Officer Tony O’Day said Victoria’s fire authorities were preparing for two days of extreme fire danger with temperatures up to 40 degrees across the state.
“Victoria is extremely dry and ready to burn,” he said.
“We are expecting two days of high temperatures and strong winds. Along with dry fuels and a warm and windy Friday night, the state is facing serious fire conditions.
“It’s important Victorians are vigilant on Friday and Saturday – any fire which starts will be difficult to control.
“With thousands of Victorians taking a break and heading to the bush, it’s critical visitors understand their surroundings and the fire danger, and plan accordingly.
“Campers in particular are not permitted to light a campfire and must extinguish any going fire from midnight.”
Last week alone, lightning started around 350 fires.
A Heat Health Alert has been issued for Friday and Saturday. Victorians need to plan for the heat and know where to go when it hits. For more information go to www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
Mr O’Day urged Victorians to visit the CFA website’s can and can’t do page to get familiar with the rules around what was permitted on a day of total fire ban.
He said it was vital to never rely on just one source of information but to use multiple sources including:
- ABC local radio, commercial and designated radio stations or Sky News
- The FireReady App – which sends push notifications for incidents, Total Fire Bans and what Fire Danger Rating
- The emergency.vic.gov.au website
- Victorian Bushfire Information Line 1800 240 667
- CFA Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Mr O’Day said that while information was easily accessible, people should not rely on receiving a warning before deciding what they will do.
Author: CFA Media