Fire management and prevention

Fire management ranges from the identification and management of fire at your event (such as barbecues, fireworks candles) to the management of the event site should your event be held in an area where fire danger is high.

This section covers:

• Fire permits
  
• Fire management plan

Fire permits

During the Fire Danger Period: Approx November to May

Fire permits are issued to businesses and individuals who need to use fire to conduct work or an activity. They provide an exemption to laws during a period when fire restrictions are in place or a day of Total Fire Ban (TFB) with specific conditions applied.

Schedule 14 permits are issued to when open flame is used during during the Fire Danger Period (for barbecues, flame cookers, fireworks). This permit does not apply for days of Total Fire Ban.

Depending on the location of the activity, the assessment of applications and issuing of Schedule 14 permits may be done by:

• CFA if the planned activity is within the country area of Victoria or
• Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) if the planned activity is within the FRV fire district

How do I apply for a Fire Danger Period permit?

Apply for a Fire Danger Period permit online through the Fire Permits Victoria website. 

 On days of Total Fire Ban

Section 40 permits may be issued for essential work purposes on days of Total Fire Ban. This is issued in addition to a section 14 permit. 

The CFA and FRV will usually issue permits for the following activities:

• discharge of fireworks for the purpose of public entertainment
• lighting of a fire for the purpose of public entertainment
• use of a fire in the open air on a day of Total Fire Ban for the cooking of food by a caterer in the country area of Victoria
• use of emergency flares at civil and military aerodromes
• use of LPG burners for hot air ballooning

 These permits are not automatically granted and, if granted, the user will have to abide by strict conditions that are set out on the permit.

As the event organiser, you may be required to complete a fire planning procedure as a condition of the event being given final approval to go ahead.

There is no guarantee that the permit will be issued by the FRV or CFA in these circumstances, therefore you are strongly advised to develop a contingency plan.

How to manage risk associated with:

Gas appliances

Comply with Code of Practice and Energy Safe Victoria Regulations apply for and abide by the conditions of fire permits.

Pyrotechnics

Apply for and abide by conditions of fire permits.

Electrical appliances

Check safety of leads and cords; carry out spot checks, fire extinguishers.

Car parking on grassed areas

Ensure grass has been slashed to 50 millimetres, removed from site and that cars are parked in rows with a width of 4 metres between rows for emergency access.  The lanes to access the rows should be 4 metres wide and free of obstruction. 

Fire extinguishers should also be on hand. 

Depending on the events location and the time of year, the CFA may require earth works to be undertaken on the site to make it safe.

Fire Management Plan

The CFA or FRV will provide you with advice and sign off on your event's Fire Prevention Plan.

You will need to ensure that there is sufficient fire fighting equipment on site such as fire extinguishers, fire blankets, hose reels and hydrants.

You may be required to source a commercial water tanker.

The location of fire fighting equipment must be included on the site plan or on a separate Fire Prevention Plan.

You will need to ensure that the extinguishers are suitable for the location.  For example a generator must have a chemical extinguisher within proximity.