Fire rules rule

YARRA Ranges may have up to four-and-a-half months of fire restrictions this summer.
The CFA has decided that the official fire danger period will start on next Monday, 14 December, and that restrictions will stay in force until 1 May unless revoked earlier.
The declaration came with a message for residents to be fire-ready.
CFA Yarra Area operations manager Graeme Armstrong said the early onset of hot weather was the clearest call yet for residents to be prepared for this fire season.
“This warm weather during November shows that it doesn’t take much for vegetation, in particular grasslands, to dry out in these conditions,” he said.
“It is only a few weeks since people were talking about the excellent spring rains and the green countryside. Now they’re talking about the heat and the rapidly drying landscape.”
Fire restriction details provided by the CFA are:
•A CFA permit, issued by the Municipal Fire Prevention Officer, is required to burn off grass, undergrowth or weeds in the open;
• Barbecues and fires for cooking and warmth do not require a permit, but must be lit in properly constructed fireplaces, within limits of wind speed and clearance perimeter, and are to be supervised at all times;
• All burn-offs should be registered with the VicFire Burn-off notification line on 1800 668 511;
•Lighting a fire in the open without a permit is an offence and can bring a penalty of up to $5500 or 12 months imprisonment;
• The Can I or Can’t I? brochure, also available online on at www.cfa.vic.gov.au, details the fire restrictions regime, including the differences between fire restrictions and total fire ban days;
• The CFA’s “On the Land: Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines”, also on the website, provides practical fire management advice for people living and working on rural properties.