THIS summer, checking fire danger ratings to understand the daily fire risk is an important way to protect yourself and your family from fire.
Fire danger ratings give you information on how dangerous a fire would be if one started, Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said.
“As the ratings increase, so does your risk of fire,” Commissioner Lapsley said.
“This summer, you could be at risk of uncontrollable fires on severe, extreme and code red days. Talk to your household about where you’ll go on these days and when you’ll leave,” he said.
Fire danger ratings are based on the weather conditions and other factors, such as how much dry vegetation there is. Hot, dry, windy days are the worst weather conditions for fire.
Ratings are forecast using Bureau of Meteorology data up to four days in advance, and are declared by fire weather district.
The three most important ratings to look out for are severe, extreme and code red, although fires can on days when the ratings are lower.
Code red days are the worst conditions for a grassfire or bushfire and means that if a fire was to start, it would be uncontrollable. Most houses are not designed or constructed to withstand code red conditions. Leaving high-risk areas the night before a code red day or early in the day is the safest option.
A severe or extreme fire danger rating means that if a fire starts and takes hold, it will be unpredictable and fast moving. If you live in a high-risk area, and your house is not prepared and you are not able to defend it, leaving early in the day is your safest option.
“Last summer, there were only five days where fire danger spiked at severe to extreme levels, and no code red days,” Mr Lapsley said.
“Code red days are rare and serious, but fires can still start and run on days of very high and severe fire danger rating.
“Don’t take any chances this summer – keep your family safe and check the fire danger ratings daily,” he said.
Check fire danger ratings at emergency.vic.gov.au, by downloading the FireReady app or by calling the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, contact the Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) via the National Relay Service on 1800 555 677.
