Don’t let your campfire ruin everyone’s Grand Final weekend
This Grand Final Long Weekend is a great opportunity for Victorians – and maybe even some interstaters – to show off their ball skills at the MCG and campfire skills in our parks and forests.
The Conservation Regulator Victoria, CFA, Parks Victoria, and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) are reminding campers about the importance of knowing the rules around campfire safety to protect fellow footy fans and the environment from the dangers of an escaped campfire.
Many people try to put out campfires incorrectly with soil, or not enough water to extinguish them completely.
“If you light it - you own it”
Chris Hardman, Chief Fire Officer, Forest Fire Management Victoria: “If you are building a campfire, make sure you know how to build a safe one, don’t leave it unattended while it is alight, put it out with water, not soil, and remember – If you light, you own it!”
To ensure campfires are safe:
• Before you light a fire always check fire restrictions, including whether a Total Fire Ban is in place. Download the VicEmergency app or go to https://www.emv.vic.gov.au/
• Plan ahead and consider alternatives for cooking such as a portable butane cooktop.
• Always follow the designated rules of your campsite. In national parks, fires can only be lit in purpose-built fireplaces unless marked otherwise.
• The campfire must not exceed one square metre, and three metres above and around your fire must be clear of flammable material.
• Branches and logs on your campfire must be no longer than one metre.
• Don’t leave a campfire unattended. An adult must stay within a 50-metre line of sight. • Extinguish a campfire with at least 10 litres of water every time you leave the site.
• All rubbish must be taken home with you, not burned.
Report unattended campfires to DEECA at 136 186 or call 000 to report a bushfire.
Chris Hardman, Chief Fire Officer, Forest Fire Management Victoria: “If you are building a campfire, make sure you know how to build a safe one, don’t leave it unattended while it is alight, put it out with water, not soil, and remember – If you light, you own it!”
For more on campfire rules go to: https://www.vic.gov.au/campfires-stoves-and-bbqs
