POLICE and CFA are urging residents to pay attention to fire warnings and know the rules about burning off before lighting fires.
The call comes after Mount Evelyn police prosecuted about 10 people for burning off during the fire danger period, which was declared more than a month ago.
Sergeant Craig Keithley said it was a common occurrence for police to get at least three or four people a week, with weekends being particularly hot.
He said more often than not, those people were unaware of what restrictions were in place and thought they were doing the right thing.
“Some think they’re doing the right thing by cleaning their property, but those sort of activities need to take place in November, not December or January because once that declared period starts, there’s no tolerance for that, we have to prosecute and so we do,” he said.
“Every time we’ve attended, the people weren’t aware and more often than not it’s a cooler day and not a total fire ban day.
“There’s a distinction between fire danger period, which started on 7 January and finishes whenever the CFA end it, and a total fire ban day.”
Sgt Keithley said it was important for people to do their research before lighting fires by visiting the Yarra Ranges website.
He said a little bit of time spent on checking the current status would save a lot of hassle in the long run.
“The information is out there, so it is a preventable offence,” he said.
“People we prosecute have to go to court and explain their actions and may face a fine.
“In terms of policing, while we’re attending these incidents, we’re not attending others.”
Mount Evelyn CFA captain Jim Armstrong said the brigade was called to 13 incidents last year of reignited burn offs, and this year was looking pretty similar.
He said it was concerning to see people still haven’t learned their lesson.
“This year we’re seeing people burning off on a cooler day thinking it’s alright to burn off, but they often have hot embers inside them for three to four days,” he said.
“This time of the year we have at least a couple of hot days a week that’s been windy so if those fires aren’t put out properly, they can reignite three to four days later.”
With the temperatures still on the rise this summer, Mr Armstrong warned people to be wary.
“We’ve been lucky so far, but I think it’s only a matter of time – districts all around us have seen serious fires this year so it’s really a case of when, not if, with us,” he said.
“Fires will get out of control and put other people at risk. People need to know it’s actually a criminal offence to do it.”
Mr Armstrong reiterated the importance of checking before burning off.
Residents can get a range of information from the CFA website or their local fire station.
“They need to make themselves aware of what the rules are, before they light any fire, in a fire danger period,” he said.
For more information, visit www.cfa.org.au
