As the weather continues to warm up, rural and peri-urban residents and vacant land property owners across Greater Geelong are reminded to ensure their properties are fire ready.
Ahead of the formal Fire Danger Period beginning in Greater Geelong on Monday 24 November, the City's Municipal Fire Prevention Officers are starting fire prevention inspections of properties in coming weeks until early 2026.
Under the Country Fire Authority Act and the Fire Rescue Act , the City has a duty to protect life and property from the risk of fire while all property owners have a responsibility to keep their properties free of fire hazards.
Property owners should ensure that all grass, weeds and other undergrowth on their properties are cut and maintained to a height less than 100 mm (four inches) throughout the declared Fire Danger Period.
Properties need to be free of dead branches, piles of garden waste, timber, cardboard and other combustible materials.
Owners of rural properties that are not used for cropping or livestock grazing, must establish a continuous firebreak around the entire perimeter, with a minimum width of six metres.
Houses, sheds, machinery and other equipment on these properties are to be kept free of long grass and other potential hazards.
We will issue Fire Prevention Notices to landowners if a property is deemed at risk or insufficient action has been taken to prevent the risk of or the possible spread of fire. This may result in a second round of inspections at these properties.
