Total Fire Ban
A Total Fire Ban is declared by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) on days when fires are most likely to threaten lives and property. This may be due to:
- Weather conditions
- The number of days since it last rained
- Amount of vegetation in the area that could burn during a fire
- Limited firefighting resources available.
There are several ways you can find out if a Total Fire Ban has been declared:
- Visit the Emergency WA website
- Listen to ABC Local Radio
- Call the DFES Total Fire Ban hotline on 1800 709 355
- Read the alerts on this website.
A Total Fire Ban will also be posted on the Shire’s Facebook page.
Some of the activities that are illegal to do during a Total Fire Ban, include:
• Lighting a fire in the open air
• Using any appliance that consumes solid fuel eg. fire pits, webers, pizza ovens, rotisseries, smokers or incinerators
• Welding, grinding, soldering, charring, gas cutting and cutting of metal in the open air
• Using an internal combustion engine powered equipment in or near bush.
• Using motor bikes, quad bikes or other motorised vehicles in bush or paddocks, unless it is for the feeding or watering of stock.
A full list of restricted activities during a Total Fire Ban is available on the DFES website.
Total Fire Ban exemptions are required for any activity not prescribed in the Bush Fires Regulations 1954 which could cause or is likely to cause a fire. These activities include fireworks, programmed hot fire training, rail grinding, and religious and cultural ceremonies.
To find out more, visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services website.
Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban
At varying times during the Restricted and Prohibited Burning period, the Shire of Harvey Chief Bushfire Control Officer may impose a ban on the use or operation of any engine, vehicle, plant, equipment or machinery in the area. This ban is commonly referred to as a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban (HVMB).
A HVMB is imposed to restrict activities that are likely to cause a bushfire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire when the expected weather conditions indicate that if a wildfire was to start, it would be dangerous, destructive and difficult to stop once started.
Type 1: Regulation 24C Bush Fires Regulations 1954.
A HVMB applies when a total fire ban has been declared, they must be imposed when the fire behaviour index is or exceeds 40 or when the Bush Fire Control Officer deems the use or operation of an engine vehicle, plant, equipment, or machinery powered by an internal combustion engine on land containing vegetation (off-road) is likely to start a bush fire. HVMBs are usually issued during the day’s highest risk period.
Type 2: Regulation 38A Bush Fires Regulations 1954.
A HVMB applies during restricted and prohibited burning times and where no total fire ban is declared. If the Bush Fire Control Officer believes engines, vehicles, plant, or machinery may cause or be conducive to the spread of a bushfire.
There are several ways you can find out if a HVMB has been declared:
- Read the alerts on this website
- Listen to ABC Local Radio
- Through the Shire’s SMS notification system.*
*Important note: This SMS text is only a notification service. It is your responsibility to determine if a ban has been imposed and to establish whether any planned activity is permitted when a ban is in place.
Subscribe to the Shire’s SMS notification service
To subscribe to the Shire’s SMS notification system, email your contact details to esd@harvey.wa.gov.au.
The following activities are not permitted during a HVMB:
- Harvesting operations
- Any “hot works” (eg. welding, grinding, cutting, heating etc) in the open air
- Use or operation of any engine, vehicle, plant, equipment or machinery in the area likely to cause a bushfire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire (eg. motorbikes, quad bikes or other motorised vehicles in bush or off-road areas including paddocks).
The following activities are permitted during a HVMB:
- Movement of vehicles on “gazetted roads” – as described in Bush Fires regulation 24A(1) and Road Traffic Act 1974 section 5.1.
- Movement of vehicles on a lane, driveway, yard or other area that provides access to, or a parking facility at, any residential, farming or business premises, if the area has been sufficiently cleared of inflammable material to prevent the escape of fire.
- Use or operation of a vehicle if it is for the prevention of an immediate and serious risk to the health or safety of a person or livestock, and only if all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent the activity from creating a bushfire danger.
- Use or operations of vehicles and undertaking of “hot works” by those persons holding a current Exemption under Bush Fires Act 1954 s. 22C (exemption from Total Fire Bans).
More information and contact
For more information, contact the Shire on (08) 9729 0300 or email shire@harvey.wa.gov.au.
