Victoria’s fire services are urging holidaymakers to check emergency warnings before exploring regional areas of the State.
Deputy Commissioner Fire Safety for Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), Michelle Young said it was important that holidaymakers monitored emergency warnings and knew how to evacuate if necessary.
“When visiting unfamiliar territory over summer, it is very important that visitors learn which fire district they are in and monitor the Fire Danger Ratings,” Deputy Commissioner Young said.
“We may be experiencing a La Niña weather pattern, but that does not leave room for complacency – last year during La Niña, fire services responded to several significant grassfires that came dangerously close to homes,” she said.
“Check the Fire Danger Ratings every day throughout summer and never travel to or through areas with dense bushlands or grasslands on Extreme or Code Red days.”
Deputy Commissioner Young recommended that people downloaded the VicEmergency app and set up watch zones for the location they were visiting, “so you will be notified of any fires or other emergency incidents during your stay”.
Acting Chief Officer of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Garry Cook said grassfires could move at speeds of up to 25 km/h and jump highways, so it was crucial that people also monitored areas they were travelling through.
“Before you jump in the car, pop onto the VicEmergency app to check if there are any incidents in areas along your planned route,” Acting Chief Officer Cook said.
“CFA’s website also has a map of Victoria that details the Fire Danger Ratings for districts across the State, so please ensure you view this before travelling,” he said.
Acting Chief Officer Cook said that if Fire Danger Ratings were Severe or higher, people should consider whether they needed to travel and whether there were alternative routes.
