Preparation and response

Farm preparation

Fires are more likely to occur on farms during harvest, given the movement of machinery and vehicles through paddocks with cured crops. To assist in fire prevention, it is recommended that:

• Equipment (e.g. harvesters) has regular maintenance checks and is kept clean of dust, straw, and seed
• Equipment is parked in harvested or clear areas
• Standing motors are serviced and the area around them kept clear

Having fire extinguishers on all equipment and firefighting unit(s) on site may help in containing a fire before it gets out of control. Operating plant and machinery has additional requirements under the Bush Fires Act 1954 during the Restricted and Prohibited Burning Periods. Visit our Plant and Machinery Requirements page for more information. 

DFES has released a range of resources containing important information for farmers:

• Burn Smart Guide for Small Landholders
• Operating Private Equipment at Bushfires

During fire season, please ensure you have your mobile phone handy; have registered for the Shire’s Harvest, Vehicle Movement and Hot Works Ban SMS notification system; and listen to ABC local radio for harvest ban declarations.

Response

Farm or private firefighting units and machinery form an important part of the Shire’s overall bushfire response. To ensure safety and efficient integration with bushfire services, all private responders are reminded to:

• Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (e.g. long sleeves/pants, boots and gloves)
• Report to Incident Control on arrival (or as soon as possible after the establishment of an Incident Control)

We also encourage that vehicles are fitted with a UHF (CB) radio. Channel 5 is the most commonly used channel during an incident, but alternate channels may be used depending on the size or number of incidents. Please confirm the correct communications channel when reporting to Incident Control.