District 22 operations manager Tony Owen reminded people it was important to remain vigilant despite the Fire Danger Period coming to an end.
He said a zero tolerance policy would continue to be enforced for those people responsible for illegal fires.
“Residents that wish to conduct burn-offs on their private properties need to follow some basic rules — register your burn-offs first and foremost, check weather conditions and monitor the wind, and follow local council laws and regulations,” Mr Owen said.
“As well as registering your burn-offs with Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) you need to alert your neighbours to the fact that they may see smoke on the set dates.”
While CFA crews were extremely busy this past fire season, Mr Owen said they would like to avoid having to respond to false alarms by people not correctly registering their burn-offs.
Whether registering a burn-off by phone or email, people should be prepared to give basic information including location, date, expected start and finish times, estimated size and what they intend to burn.
To keep burn-offs safe and legal, Mr Owen urged people to stay in attendance the whole time the burn is going and ensure they had sufficient equipment and water on hand to stop the fire spreading.
“The burn-off line is very easy to use — the operators are friendly and prompt you by asking the key questions.
“By registering your burn-off, when somebody reports that they’ve spotted smoke the incident will be cross-checked with the burn-off register and prevent a CFA crew from having to respond to a false alarm that takes them away from family, friends, work and other potential emergencies.”
Landowners can register their burn-off with ESTA by phoning 1800 668 511 or emailing: burnoffs@esta.vic.gov.au
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