Make sure you go through this checklist when planning a trip to or through bushfire-prone areas.

Checklist before you travel

• Check forecast weather conditions
• Check Fire Danger Ratings for your route and your destination
• Check for any current fire activity in areas you will be visiting - check www.cfa.vic.gov.au
• Check the latest conditions and park closures
• Review your plans - identify the safest route and possible bushfire refuges
• Be prepared to change your plans on days of Severe, Extreme or Code Red (catastrophic) Fire Danger Ratings
• Tell someone where you are going and when
• Take a portable AM/FM radio and mobile phone
• Check woollen blankets and drinking water are in the car
• Check for fire restrictions and Total Fire Bans

While you are away

• Check for any current fire activity by listening to an emergency services broadcaster
• Do not expect an official bushfire warning
• Stay alert for bushfire smoke or flames
• Do not let your actions result in a bushfire - extinguish cigarettes and campfires completely

If there is a bushfire 

Protect yourself from heat and flames

• Stay calm - do not panic
• If your are unsure if it is a bushfire, call the Victorian Bushfire Information line 1800 240 667
• Listen to an emergency services broadcaster for updates
• Report new fires by calling 000
• Late evacuation can be deadly

If you get caught in a fire

In the car:

• If you can, U-turn to safety and leave the area
• Do not get out and run - stay in the vehicle
• Park in a large clear area, away from trees and long grass
• Turn on headlights and hazards lights
• Close windows and vents. Get below window level
• Cover exposed skin with a dry woollen blanket
• Wear dry, natural fibre clothing
• When the fire has passed, get out of the car

Outdoors:

• See refuge behind a rocky outcrop or high wall, in cave, gully or large animal burrow, in a large clear area away from trees and grass or in large dam or lake
• Avoid slopes and hill tops - avoid being above a fire
• Do not seek refuge in above ground tanks or above ground pools
• Cover exposed skin with dry natural fibre clothing

Useful links

• Current fires on www.cfa.vic.gov.au
• Campfire safety information
• Hiking and camping in parks and forests - bushfire safety tips