General News
9 November, 2025
Wimmera enters fire season: CFA calls for vigilance and cleanup
Fire season has officially begun across parts of the Wimmera, with restrictions now in force for Hindmarsh and Yarriambiack, with more shires to follow on Monday, November 10. The CFA urges locals to prepare early and clean up around properties.
The fire season officially began in part of the Wimmera on Monday, November 3, with restrictions now in place.
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) has declared the first First Fire Danger Period (FDP) for the 2025-26 fire season for Hindmarsh and Yarriambiack municipalities.
The Horsham Rural City Council, West Wimmera Shire Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council and Buloke Shire Council begin on Monday, November 10.
Warracknabeal CFA captain Russell Brown said the recent Spring rains have promoted growth and cautioned the community to be aware of the need for preparation.
“With the late rains, fueling or allowing a bit more grass and stuff to grow just before we go into the fire season, it hasn’t really helped,” he said.
“Just clean up, cut grass, and clean up any debris around.
“There’s growth happening around on roadsides, around sheds and houses that needs to be tidied up.”
He said while summer hadn’t arrived yet, the CFA was doing all it could to be ready for the fire season, including procedural training along with identification of fire or weather-damaged trees.
“We haven't had the hot weather … so it hasn't really been all that bad for us yet,” Mr Brown said.
“Every year, the CFA have to do mandatory training before we go out on the fire ground. So we do an entrapment procedure, which is, if we get caught in a fire, what we do and what we put into practice on the actual trucks. So we've been training with that to get the entrapment procedure done and what we call hazardous trees as well, so that we are ready to keep an eye out.”
“It’s an awareness programme the CFA makes us do every three years, but we try and do it every year to keep familiar with it.”
Warracknabeal CFA Group officer David Drage agreed, saying a level of false sense of security may have crept into the community due to the dry weather earlier in the year, particularly in terms of fuel load.
“There’s been a significant amount of growth in the last six or eight weeks,” he said.
“It's quite easy for people to get caught out and just say it's a dry year (and) there won't be much growth, but (the) evidence is out there that there's plenty of dry grass now on roadsides and vacant blocks ... people need to be aware that there actually is a significant fuel load in the area.”
He said people might feel “we’ve seen plenty of years like this”, but added, “complacency is no excuse for not being prepared”.
He was satisfied with the preparation of the 12 brigades under his jurisdiction – “we're all as prepared as we can be for whatever the summer throws at us” and reminded people to take care when cleaning up.
“If people are mowing long grass now, just be very wary that you really are doing the job a bit too late,” Mr Drage said.
“If your mower does cause a spark, you're more than likely to have a fire on your hands anyway, so be prepared. Have a knapsack or a hose handy, and have your phone ready in case you need to call Triple-Zero.
“We do, quite often in seasons like this, have a couple of fires now when people are mowing dry grass that probably should have been mowed when it was green, but it's quite easy to get caught out.”
Those conducting burn-offs must notify authorities online at the Fire Permits Victoria website (www.firepermits.vic.gov.au) or by calling 1800 668 511.
By registering your burn-off online, you enable emergency call takers to allocate more of their time to responding to calls from individuals who require immediate emergency assistance.
No burning off is permitted during the FDP without a Permit to Burn, which can be applied for through the Fire Permits Victoria website.
Lighting fires in the open without a permit can result in a penalty of more than $21,800 and/or 12 months imprisonment.
Farmers can find legal guidelines and practical advice at cfa.vic.gov.au/farms.
More information about FDPs is available online at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/firedangerperiod.
To find out what you can and can’t do during FDP, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/can or call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
As summer approaches, the CFA urged both urban and rural residents to take action to ensure that emergency vehicles can reach them quickly in the event of a fire.
While many people associate fire risks with vacant land and bush blocks, the CFA says it’s often suburban streets and built-up areas that present unexpected challenges for fire crews.
To address the issue, the CFA has developed new community resources to help residents understand the importance of maintaining clear access to their properties and street space for emergency services.
Under the Victorian Planning Scheme, CFA can prescribe access and water requirements as part of the permit application process for new developments.
However, for existing homes and properties, the authority relies on community cooperation rather than enforcement.
CFA Manager of Natural Environment and Bushfire Safety, Mark Holland, said that while compliance isn’t mandatory for existing properties, awareness and goodwill make all the difference.
“The standard permit conditions provide great best-practice specifications for our messaging to the broader community so we can provide them guidance on how to help us help them,” he said.
