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The Fire Danger Period (FDP) will commence at 1am on Monday, 23 November 2026 for the following municipalities: • Colac Otway Shire Council • Corangamite Shire Council
Residents are encouraged to use the remaining time before the FDP begins to prepare their properties and complete any private burn-offs while conditions and regulations allow. This includes cleaning up dry grass, leaves, and other flammable materials.
CFA District 6 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Hildebrandt said the declaration has been made due to regions drier conditions which indicate fire potential across grasslands and agricultural areas.
"While recent rainfall has helped the moisture in forests and grass growth, the finer fuels in our area will become increasingly more available to burn following periods of warm, dry weather that we will see in coming weeks," Mark said.
"Should significant fire weather develop, there is high potential for fires within the Otway forest and scrublands. We want to ensure that both the community and emergency services are prepared ahead of this change.
"As grassland curing continues through late spring and early summer, and the environment dries out further, the likelihood of fire and the intensity and spread of those fires will also increase.
"The major fires in the Otways over the 2025/26 fire season have demonstrated rapid fire growth in dense forest fuels under extreme weather conditions.
"Now is the time to complete those last-minute clean-up jobs around your property and make sure your bushfire plan is up to date."
