With active fires ongoing in the landscape, CFA is urging community members in the west of the state to be on high alert tomorrow due to a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating in the Wimmera Region.
Due to the Catastrophic and Extreme weather conditions tomorrow, a Total Fire Ban (TFB) has been declared for the Central fire district - which includes Bass Coast, as well as Wimmera, Mallee, South West, Northern Country and North Central fire weather districts.
A Total Fire Ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the Total Fire Ban.
A Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating means conditions will be the most dangerous for a fire under the new Australian Fire Danger Rating System. If a fire starts and takes hold, lives and homes are likely to be lost.
Tomorrow’s conditions will be hot and windy with temperatures reaching mid 40s in the northwest and north of the state. Strong northerly winds are expected around 30-40km/h gusting to 60-80km/h.
Dry lightning is also predicted in the western and central parts of Victoria tomorrow afternoon.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said tomorrow’s conditions, along with significant fires going in the west, represent a significant risk to the community.
Victorians can find out if a Total Fire Ban is declared on the CFA website www.cfa.vic.gov.au, where it is usually published by 5pm the day before a Total Fire Ban.
For more information on what you can and can't do visit the Can I or Can't I page on the CFA website.
Victorians should also make sure they have access to more than one source of information.
They include:
- ABC local radio, commercial and designated radio stations of Sky News
- The VicEmergency App
- The VicEmergency website www.emergency.vic.gov.au
- The VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
- CFA or VicEmergency Twitter or Facebook