CFA has declared Total Fire Bans across all districts except East Gippsland for Wednesday, 25 November.
Total Fire Bans will apply in the Central, South West, Wimmera, North Central, Mallee, Northern Country, North East and West & South Gippsland districts.
High winds and heat will also push Fire Danger Ratings into Extreme and Severe levels across much of the state, with the Mallee, Northern Country, Wimmera and North Central forecast as Extreme, while South West, Central and North East districts will be Severe.
CFA Chief Officer Joe Buffone said strong and gusty northwesterly winds peaking at up to 100km/hr were forecast before a gusty change in the afternoon in the west and central areas.
“Tomorrow we are expecting strong winds before a change in the late afternoon and possible dry thunderstorms,” he said.
“Although it has been a mild start to the week, we are bracing for a dangerous fire day tomorrow in most of the state.”
Between 00:01AM and 11.59PM on Wednesday 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 that there have been a spate of hay stack fires in the last week, many resulting in the loss of machinery.
Police will be activating Operation Firesetter in high risk areas and will be conducting patrols to prevent bushfire arson and reckless fires.
This year Operation Firesetter will have a stronger focus on recklessness – which include actions such as failing to properly extinguish a campfire to using tools such as angle grinders on a day of total fire ban.
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