“You may see a large amount of smoke in areas where these activities take place, so we ask farmers to let their neighbours know who may be sensitive to smoke so they can take necessary precaution.
“Any burning activity must always have someone in attendance, with enough water resources to monitor, contain and extinguish the burn safely and effectively.
“For greater awareness for emergency services and community members, burn-offs should be registered on the fire permits website, or if people wish to start their burn-off immediately, register the burn-off by calling 1800 668 511.”
FFMVic chief fire officer Chris Hardman said it was crucial fire agencies took advantage of favourable conditions when they presented.
“Planned burning on public land is one of the tools FFMVic uses to keep Victoria safer from bushfires,” he said.
“Our climate is changing and that means finding the right days for safe and effective planned burning is becoming more challenging.
“Autumn typically provides our crews more opportunities to conduct planned burns, as the weather is more stable, and fire behaviour tends to be manageable and predictable.
“Reducing dry vegetation such as grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and small fallen branches means fires are less intense and slower to spread, making it more likely that firefighters can keep bushfires small and contained before they pose a risk to communities.”
Mr Hardman said FFMVic worked closely with the CFA, Bureau of Meteorology and Environment Protection Agency, EPA, Victoria to keep the smoke impact as low as possible.
“We make every effort to make sure favourable weather conditions reduce smoke drift into communities,” he said.
“Victorians can register to receive notifications of upcoming planned burns at the Planned Burns Victoria website.”
State chief environmental scientist Jen Martin said the EPA understood smoke from any source, including planned burns and private burn-offs could cause health concerns.
“Be prepared by watching for FFMVic planned-burn notifications and by checking the air quality in your area on EPA’s website,” she said.
“Your nose is also an excellent smoke detector. If you can smell smoke, take the necessary precautions to protect your health.”
The Planned Burns Victoria website has details of all planned burns on a three-year joint fuel- management program; people can visit plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au to find out more.
To find out what can and cannot be done during fire danger period, people can visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/fire-bans-ratings-and-restrictions/can-i-or-cant-i
People can check fire restrictions and register private burns at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au or call 1800 668 511.
Detailed information about current air quality throughout Victoria can be found on EPA’s website, www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/airwatch.
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