Victoria's Fire Season Ends as Final Restrictions Lift

Following welcomed rainfall that saw up to 70mm reach parts of northeast Victoria over the last five days, fire restrictions will now ease for Towong Shire Council on Friday 30 May at 1.00am.

This comes after the Fire Danger Period was initially extended last week due to underlying dryness and elevated fire risk.

District 24 Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Brett Myers said the arrival of rain in the right areas of far northeast Victoria has allowed restrictions to be lifted earlier than anticipated.

"We're really pleased that over the weekend a consistent bout of rain hit the ground and thankfully it fell in all the areas that needed it the most," Brett said.

"The impact of the rain was widespread, with 30 to 70mm reaching over the municipal area.

"Early indications suggest that the quantity of rain has made a notable impact and has absorbed positively, suggesting benign fire behaviour moving forward."

Residents within Towong Shire Council are reminded that while the window for burning off resumes shortly, extreme care should still be taken to protect their local communities.

"Now is not the time for landowners to be complacent. We ask when conducting fire activity at your home, you have sufficient water and resources on hand to extinguish it properly," Brett said.

"Make sure you have your mineral earth break in, and that you are still monitoring weather conditions. As we've seen recently, things can change rapidly, and fire will spread quickly."

Since 1 April to 27 May, CFA has responded to 236 escaped burn-offs across the state.

"Escaped burn-offs continue to cause significant concern," Brett said.

"Not only do they tie up our resources, but they also present a real danger to the community and our volunteers.

"Please register your burn-off online at Fire Permits Victoria to help prevent false alarms which divert resources from other emergencies."

Landowners can apply for a permit to burn off at firepermits.vic.gov.au.

Burn off safety checklist:

• Obtain a permit if required and check and monitor weather conditions - particularly wind.
• Postpone your activity if high fire risk conditions develop.
• Notify your neighbours if the burn will generate fire and smoke.
• Leave a three-metre fire break, free from flammable materials around the burn.
• Ensure you have enough water on hand (10 litres for small fires).
• Never leave a burn-off unattended - stay for its entire duration.
• Ensure there are enough people to monitor, contain and extinguish the burn effectively.