.JPG "Image: Wayne Rigg")
Image: Wayne Rigg
This summer has placed sustained demand on Victoria's fire and emergency services, and CFA's members have responded at large.
Between 7 January and 27 January, CFA responded to more than 3,300 individual incidents across the state, involving more than 780 brigades and over 1,800 appliances.
On 9 January, conditions escalated to catastrophic. That day, crews attended almost 200 grass and scrub fires, with more than 80 strike teams mobilised simultaneously across Victoria.
Since early January, more 23,000 CFA volunteers have turned out, many have responded multiple times while balancing work, family and community commitments during what was the longest heatwave Victoria has experienced since 2009.
Behind the scenes, Incident Management Teams have operated around the clock alongside CFA's partner agencies, with welcome support from interstate and international personnel.
To date, more than 435,000 hectares of private and public land have burned across Victoria. The pace of the season is reflected in the Total Fire Ban declarations alone. There were 12 declared across the entire 2024/25 fire season, by mid-February this year, 26 have already been declared.
The scale of the fires has also prompted many Victorians to consider how they can contribute. Since 7 January, CFA has received 2,668 expressions of interest from prospective new volunteers.
Thank you to all members and staff who continue to contribute to this sustained statewide effort.
