Fire control concerns everyone in our community.
As Bunbury residents, we are fortunate to live in proximity to a haven of natural bushland. However, embers from a bushfire can travel many kilometres, and anyone can lose their home to an ember attack.
Firebreaks help to reduce this risk and are a legal requirement under Section 33 of the Bush Fires Act 1954. See the Public Fire Notice below for a list of dates for restricted and prohibited burning times, plus all the necessary information you need to ensure your property is compliant and not a bushfire risk.
Where the area of the land is less than 2024 square metres:
Slash/mow all grass to a height no greater than 10 centimetres and remove all cut materials and other flammable matter, such as leaf matter and dead vegetation, from the property.
Where the area of the land is greater than 2024 square metres:
Slash/mow all grass to a height no greater than 10 centimetres and remove all cut materials and/or install a firebreak of three metres wide and four metres high, clear of all bush and flammable material along all external boundaries of the land. Total removal of all flammable material from the property may be considered an acceptable alternative.
Fire Breaks
A firebreak refers to a cleared strip of land free from flammable materials, including wood, leaves, and grass that may ignite and burn.
To be compliant, firebreaks must be accessible for firefighting vehicles, with a vertical clearance of four
metres and three metres wide with no obstructions. They also must not end abruptly or lead to dead ends.
While firebreaks do not prevent fires, they provide access for firefighters and can help contain the spread of fires. Firebreaks can be created by mineral earth or maintained green lawns.
Firebreaks are a legal requirement, and failure to comply can result in a penalty of $250. All Rangers are Fire Control Officers and will be actively patrolling during Fire Season to ensure the safety of all our residents.
Where an owner or occupier fails to install or maintain a firebreak, the City will install the firebreak and recover the costs.
Additional things to help keep you safe from fire
There are many additional works that may be requested by Fire Control Officers, but we recommend all property owners consider any way to further reduce the risk of fire and help prevent unnecessary damage to your own property:
- ensure roofs and gutters of all buildings on the land are clear of flammable materials.
- remove accumulated fuel such as leaf litter, twigs, dead bushes and trees capable of
- fuelling a fire.
Visit DEFS and consider making a Bushfire Plan. It will take you five minutes and may help you further protect your home and family.
Total Fire Bans
Total Fire Bans are declared on days when fires will be very difficult to control and are most likely to threaten lives and property because there is extreme fire weather or widespread bushfires that are seriously stretching firefighting resources.
Total Fire Bans prohibit lighting open-air fires, which include deliberately lit fires, burn-offs, cooking with open-fire appliances or campfires, or carrying out business activities that could start a fire, including incinerators, welding, grinding, soldering or gas cutting.
As of 2018, the State Government has increased penalties for anyone breaching a Total Fire Ban. An offence can incur an on-the-spot infringement of $1000. Repeat offenders or offences of a serious nature could result in prosecution with a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment for 12 months.
Visit the DFES website to find out more about Total Fire Bans.
Campfires, fire pits, barbecues and pizza ovens
Campfires are prohibited on any land from 1 November to 5 May.
Fire pits are not permitted at all during the prohibited burning period from 11 December to 24 March.
Fire pits are permitted to be used during restricted burning periods 1 November to 10 December and 25 March to 5 May under certain conditions, and must be set up correctly to prevent the spread of the fire.
For the purposes of cooking, pizza ovens, wood-fuelled barbecues and smokers are not permitted during prohibited burning periods 11 December to 24 March, when the fire danger rating is ‘high’ or above, or when a Total Fire Ban is declared.
Permits are required during restricted burning periods and may be cancelled should changes in weather conditions or other presented risks occur. Owners of campfires, fire pits, pizza ovens or wood-fuelled barbecues should stay up-to-date with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services website for fire danger rating information and Total Fire Ban notices.
None of these activities are permitted on any public land.
To apply for a permit to burn please visit the Burning Permits page on this website via the link below.
Report a fire risk
To report a fire risk, please visit the City of Bunbury Community Portal.