Community
25 September, 2025
Victorians urged to register burn-offs
THE Country Fire Authority (CFA) is urging landowners to register their burn-offs online as Victorians begin preparing for fire season.
Spring is a common time for landowners to take advantage of the favourable weather conditions to conduct burning off activities, however in most areas in Victoria, less than 50 per cent are registering their burn-offs online.
The quickest and easiest way to register a burn-off is through the Fire Permits Victoria website at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au/notify.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said the Fire Permits Victoria website is the preferred platform for community members to register their burns.
“By registering your burn-off, it allows emergency services to verify the fire is not an emergency before unnecessarily calling out local brigades,” he said.
“It also allows us to display burn-offs on the CFA website so the public can see where a burn-off is taking place, preventing needless calls to Triple Zero (000).
“Over the past year, CFA responded to nearly 900 escaped burn-offs, which utilised around 19,000 hours of our volunteers’ time.
“Please don’t leave your burn-off unattended and only burn-off when conditions are favourable.”
The website allows users to notify emergency services of their burn-off and also check and apply for a permit, if necessary.
Triple Zero Victoria chief operating officer Nicole Ashworth said registering burn-offs online was fast, easy and allowed call-takers to focus on higher priority calls.
“Spring is the ideal time to prepare your property ahead of the fire danger period, which makes it one of the busiest times for people registering their burn-offs by phone,” she said.
“That's why we always urge landowners to plan ahead and save themselves some time by jumping onto the Fire Permits Victoria website and registering well in advance, especially when suitable weather conditions are forecast.”
Before burning off Victorians are reminded to follow regulations or laws by CFA and local council, notify neighbours if the burn will generate fire and smoke, check the weather forecast for the day of the activity and a few days afterward and postpone your activity if high fire risk conditions develop.
It is important to establish a gap in vegetation or fire break of no less than three metres cleared of all flammable material.
Have enough people to monitor, contain and extinguish the burn safely and effectively.
Never leave a burn-off unattended.
For more information about burning off safely, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/burnoff.