Bushfires

Bushfires are a real danger in Australia. Not only those traveling in Australia’s outback and forests should be aware of this danger and be prepared.

In February 2009, a series of bushfires around Melbourne got out of control.  What today is remembered as the Black-Saturday, describes a fire catastrophe which claimed 173  lives.

License plates in Victoria often read the words ‘be prepared’. This is to remind of the danger of bushfires and warn that you always have to be prepared. So even those travellers who spend a few days in the summer on a campsite or in an AirBnB on the Mornington Peninsula or the Great Ocean Road should know what to do when the fire danger increases. Making yourself familiar with the area and having more than one escape route is always a good idea.

Brush fires can spread extremely fast and reach up to 100 kilometers per hour, fuelled by the wind. So it is important to know which fire warning level prevails. About the current fire warning level is often informed on scoreboards on the roadside, announcements are made via radio and TV and sometimes even short messages are sent to every mobile phone in the region.

Good information on Fire Danger Ratings can be found on the website of the Department of Fire & Emergency ServicesThe Victorian Civil Fire Authority (CFA) also offers good information in PDF brochures, available in English and further 36 languages,  explaining the different fire warning levels, precautionary and emergency measures.

Generally one should always know the current fire warning levels of the region in which one resides. This is often displayed on scoreboards / road signs, announced in radio announcements and on television and often sent via SMS to all phones in the affected region. Links to the regional rescue services can be found here: http://www.emergencyalert.gov.au/