Fire danger season starts earlier
Published on 01 November 2024
Fire danger season for the Adelaide metropolitan area will start on Friday 15 November 2024, 2 weeks earlier than the usual start date of 1 December. The season will end on Wednesday 30 April 2025.
The earlier start date is due to the hotter and drier conditions currently being experienced across South Australia.
The SA Country Fire Service (CFS) said the decision to bring forward the Fire Danger Season was done in consultation with local Bushfire Management Committees and serves as a strong indicator of the importance of everyone being 'bushfire ready' this year.
"Whether you live, work, or travel through a bushfire risk area, it is critical that all South Australians are prepared for the upcoming Fire Danger Season and know what to do if a bushfire starts near them," Chief Officer Brett Loughlin AFSM said.
"Preparing for the bushfire season is a shared responsibility - CFS staff and volunteers dedicate months of training to be ready to protect their communities and are urging everyone to do their bit by getting their properties and bushfire plans ready," Mr Loughlin said.
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) Chief Officer, Jeff Swann, said the MFS encourages all South Australians to know their risk and prepare their homes and families ahead of this Fire Danger Season.
"Many South Australians living on the outskirts of Adelaide mistakenly believe they are not in a bushfire risk area, but these fires can have devastating effects in their communities," Mr Swann said.
"During a bushfire, embers can travel kilometres ahead of the fire and can cause most houses to catch fire when sparks or burning embers settle on or around your home.
"It is essential for residents living on the outskirts of Adelaide, Adelaide Hills and larger country towns to plan and prepare for what they will do when a bad fire day approaches - including where they will go, when they will leave, what they will take."
For more information, visit the CFS website.