Victorians are being called on to take action in the event of a bushfire after a Country Fire Authority (CFA) survey found the majority of people believed they would get an official warning if they were threatened by a bushfire.
Chief Officer of CFA, Jason Heffernan said the Authority’s annual Bushfire Community Survey found more than half the Victorians in areas at high risk of bushfire believed they would definitely get an official warning if threatened by a bushfire and 36 per cent expected to be told when to evacuate.
Chief Officer Heffernan said while emergency services were well prepared and the State had an effective integrated warning system, there could be some circumstances when Victorians may not get a warning.
“Fires can spread within minutes,” he said.
“On hot, dry and windy days, fires can start quickly and threaten lives and homes.
“You need to be prepared and paying attention to the weather conditions ahead of time.”
Chief Officer Heffernan said the community needed to know their triggers and use their senses, such as sight and smell, as well as their common sense to enact their fire plan.
He said while this year’s fire season outlook indicated a lower risk of prolonged bushfires, grass fires remained a high risk across the State and could move at speeds of up to 25 km/h and jump highways.
“Do not drive into or through high-risk areas on hot, dry, windy days,” he said.
“Plan an alternate route or delay your travel, if possible.”
Chief Officer Heffernan said the Survey also found 17 per cent of people believed they would definitely get help from CFA if impacted by bushfire, while 35 per cent believed they were likely to.
“CFA’s mission is to save lives and property and of course we will do everything we can to respond to everyone who needs us, but there are times during major bushfires when we simply can’t get a truck to every house,” he said.
“People need a plan – exactly what are you going to do for your family, loved ones, pets and other animals if a fire occurs and a fire truck may not be able to get there?”
“If you have a plan, you can act to survive,” Chief Officer Heffernan said.
