You can report a fire hazard to the City of Greater Bendigo online or by calling 1300 002 642.

More information

• Fire hazards - Report a fire hazard

The CFA has information and templates for property owners and tenants to use. The Your Guide to Survival is a great place to start and includes information about:

• fire behaviour and risks
• preparing your property before summer
• developing a plan to respond to increased fire risk and/or an incident in the area
• the three levels of emergency warnings

Further information:

• Fire dangers and ratings in your area Fire Danger Ratings

Types of information available include:

Advice: General information to keep you up to date

Watch & Act: For when an emergency threatens you. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect your health, life and your family

Emergency Warning: When you are in imminent danger and need to take action immediately. You will be impacted by the emergency. This includes information for preparing an emergency management kit that can be grabbed quickly in an emergency, or part of your leave early planning.

It is also very important to install and maintain smoke alarms in your home. The CFA recommends having working smoke alarms in all bedrooms and living areas. Tests should be performed monthly and batteries replaced every year. If the smoke alarm is greater than 10 years old, consider replacing it with a new unit that has a lithium battery with a 10 year lifespan.

Despite regulations and education, only 45 percent of properties attended by fire services have smoke alarms. Of these properties, almost a third were not working. For more information on smoke alarms visit the CFA Website.

Further information:

• CFA smoke alarms in your home Smoke Alarms Information

Consider taking shelter from the radiant heat by going to the nearest Bushfire Place of Last Resort (Neighbourhood Safer Place).

The City of Greater Bendigo has 11 designated locations across our jurisdiction, these are listed on the City of Greater Bendigo website and signs are erected at each location.

The CFA also maintains a list of all local government areas on the CFA website, this is useful if you are located in another council area. If you cannot safely get to a Bushfire Place of Last Report, then consider:

• parking your car in a clear area
• moving to a ploughed paddock or reserve
• moving to a large body of water.

Note: A Bushfire Place of Last Resort should only be used as a last resort, these locations are not staffed and do not guarantee survival. Furthermore there could be serious risks attempting to travel to these locations. Always consider all the situational information and make your own personal judgement about the best place to shelter in the presence of a bushfire.

Further information:

• City of Greater Bendigo Emergency Management page Places of last resort in a bushfire
• CFA website local government areas Neighbourhood safer places

Refer to the CFA website for what activities you can do. Some activities will require a permit, you can apply for one from Fire Permits Victoria.

For permits outside the Fire Danger Period, you must apply for a permit for an open air burn through the City, more information and links to the application can be found on the City of Greater Bendigo website

Further information:

• CFA website Fire bans and dangers what can and cant I do
• Government website Fire permits
• City of Greater Bendigo Permit for an open air burn

Bendigo Community Health Services resources:

Bushfire Safety Information Sheet

Refugee Fire Safety Resource Hub

City of Greater Bendigo resources:

Plan and prepare for bushfires

Country Fire Authority resources:

How to prepare your property

Fire Ready Kit

How fire behaves

Information for leaving early in a bushfire

Your survival Guide

Back up plans in a bushfire

Defending your property

Safer Together resources:

Understanding risks

Fuel management