Prepare your property, know when to leave, where to go and which way to go. Find out what you can do to be bushfire and storm ready.
Ensure you, your family and your community are as safe as is possible and have a Bushfire Plan ready. Do not rely on receiving a warning message to your phone or a knock on your door from the Emergency Services
No matter how you become aware of an emergency, whether it is via phone, from a neighbour or by seeing smoke or flames, take immediate action for your own safety.
Prepare for a bushfire now and protect what matters most.
Get started at: https://mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au/
Fires can happen suddenly and change quickly, so don’t rely on receiving a warning. It’s your responsibility to stay informed and alert.
Be flexible – get emergency information from multiple sources and never rely on any one source of information
You can find bushfire alerts and warnings at:
 
For more information on preparing your Bushfire Plan, contact your local Bushfire Ready Group on 9395 9816.
The Emergency WA online map provides information and updates about fires, floods, storms, earthquake, tsunamis, hazardous material incidents and traffic crashes.
DFES: Information on how to use Emergency WA
Planned burning is just one of several methods used to reduce fuel loads. Other methods include raking, slashing, ploughing and weed control.
You may have heard of hazard or fuel reduction burns, burn offs, prescribed burns and controlled burns. These are all names for planned burns.
Planned burning is the deliberate burning of a pre-determined area under the right environmental conditions to reduce fuel loads. Planned burns are done under mild and stable weather conditions so that the fire burns slowly and with low flame heights.
When combined, these methods can:
Any fire you light you are responsible for and if it escapes you may be liable for the damage it causes.
If burning is not an option or you prefer other methods to reduce fuel loads, there are other ways you can consider doing this around your house and property.
The Burn SMART Guide provides detailed information to help small landholders plan and conduct burns of surface fuels in areas of forest, woodland and tall shrubland, that are less than two hectares in size
CHECK HERE to see if you require a permit before you start planning to do a burn.
Reducing and managing fuel loads can also increase the chances of your property surviving a bushfire.
The purpose of fuel load reduction is to reduce the impact that bushfires can have on life, property, and the environment. Reducing and managing fuel loads can also increase the chances of your property surviving a bushfire. The more fuel available to a fire, the hotter and faster the fire can burn, making it much harder to control. If fuel loads are reduced it can help reduce a fires rate of spread (how quickly it travels) and reduce how far it might spot ahead of the main fire (how far the fire can jump).
When planning on fuel load management it is important to plan early and to have a plan B in case conditions change and burning, for example, is no longer an option. It is also important to check with all relevant agencies prior to modifying bushland/vegetation on your property for any additional permits or approval you may need. See the helpful links below. Make sure to check the following prior to lighting any fire:• What dates/timeframes you are allowed to burn• There are no adverse weather conditions that will impact your ability to burn.• There are no declared fire bans in place for your area.• That you do not need any additional permits due to environmental sensitivities.
Find out more information about fuel loads and fire intensity via https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/fire/fire-and-the-environment/51-fuel-loads-and-fire-intensity
Fires need fuel to burn. Vegetation such as dead leaves, twigs and bark build up as they fall from trees and shrubs, long grass, forest and woodland-floor litter and flammable scrub all increases the bushfire risk to an area. Fuel can be classified by type, size, quantity, arrangement and moisture content.
As storms are unpredictable and generally impact a small area, their devastating impact is often underestimated.
Have you considered the following?
Find more resources and information via https://dfes.wa.gov.au/hazard-information/storm
Remember, if a storm has badly damaged your home and you can’t safely fix it yourself, the State Emergency Services (SES) can help on 132 500.
For life-threatening emergencies call 000
Be sure to follow all alerts and warning for storm via:
Did you know that heatwaves harm more people than any other hazard including bushfires?
You can plan ahead for predicted heatwaves by
For more information on heatwaves from HealthyWA website -https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/Heat-health-advice
Not only is it important to plan for you and your family in the event of an emergency but it is also really important that you plan for your pets as well.
An estimated 63% of households in Australia have at least one pet, one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world! It is vital that you include your pets in your emergency plans
Get some more tips and resources via our pets section
Have you considered some of the following?
If you find sick or injured wildlife call Wildcare on 9474 9055. This service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
RSPCA WA may also provide support and relocation for lost and injured animals after natural disasters.
For more information visit www.rspcawa.asn.au or call 9209 9300.
Fire breaks in combination with reduced fuel loads, short grasses and a prepared asset protection zone contribute to the prevention and preparedness of the impacts experienced by bushfires.
Each year the City releases its annual Fire Hazard Reduction Notice.
It is the responsibility of all land owners/occupiers within the City to comply with the notice before the 1 November each year. Inspection of properties commence on the 1 November each year. The Inspections are conducted by City appointed Fire Control Officers.
If you would like further assistance with preparing your property, a City Fire Control Officer can organise a time to visit your property and provide some advice and materials to help get you started or to keep you on the right track.
Precautions should be taken when conducting any works on your property to avoid the risk of starting a fire or completing works during declared fire bans. Check:
If you consider, for any reason, that it is impractical to meet the requirements as per the Fire Hazard Reduction notice, you may apply for a variation to the City of Kalamunda by no later than 1 October. An administration fee applies for applications received after 1 October. Where permission is not granted, you must comply with the requirements outlined in the Fire Hazard Reduction Notice. Find out more and apply for a variation request via www. kalamunda.wa.gov.au/our-city/fire/variations.
In the City of Kalamunda, in addition to the requirements of this notice, regardless of land size, you may be required to carry out further fire prevention works on your land to reduce any hazards considered necessary by the duly Authorised Officer of the City of Kalamunda. If required, these requirements will be outlined in a ‘Work Order’ sent to the address of the owner and/or occupier.
Dead flammable material involves dead matter that lies on the surface of the ground and/or is elevated off the ground that can contribute greatly to a fire’s spread, intensity, and flame height. Such fuels may be fine or course in nature and will affect a fire’s behaviour in many different ways.
Grasses if not maintained can pose a high risk for fires to move fast across land and properties. Short grasses that are well maintained (kept short throughout bushfire season) aims to reduce the speed at which grass fires can travel.
Warning the following video contains real life bushfire emergencies and may be distressing to some viewers
One of the biggest threats to a property during a bushfire is an ember attack. Embers from bushfires can be carried with the wind several meters, several hundred meters, or even kilometres ahead of the main fire landing on the ground, in shrubs, mulch piles and in gutters. It is important to maintain the state of your gutters all year around with a good maintenance plan to avoid a fast build-up of dead flammable matter, particularly through the peak bushfire period.
An APZ is an area that extends 20 metres from the outermost point of the asset and/or dwelling. It is an area of low fuel loads, managed vegetation (such as tree limbs and gardens) and grasses that help reduce the impact of an advancing bushfire. In certain areas of the State, removing or modifying vegetation may conflict with environmental and heritage values, so it’s a good idea to check what you are allowed to do before starting any work.Refer to DFES Bush Fire Risk Treatment Standards for further details.
Storing mulch piles on your property can become a significant fire hazard if not stored sensibly or monitored regularly. Mulch piles can spontaneously combust due to heat build-up and catch alight from embers should a bushfire threaten the area. Some tips for storing mulch piles:
Storing wood piles in preparation for the next winter is common practice in the hills however if not stored sensibly and safely, wood piles become a significant fire hazard. They can also become a home for rodents, pests and termites if not stored sensibly. Some tips on storing wood piles:
Garden refuse piles that have accumulated over time or as a result of conducting works on the property in line with the current Notice will need to be removed. Garden refuse present a high fire risk that can increase flame height and fire spread.
For additional information on how to prepare your property for a bushfire you can contact your local Bush fire Ready Group. There are over 70 Bushfire Ready Groups in City of Kalamunda. Contact the team on (08) 9395 9816 for more information.
Do not rely on receiving a warning message to your phone or a knock on your door from the Emergency Services.
There are a number of different agencies that provide advice and support in emergencies. The single biggest killer is indecision. To survive a Bushfire you must be prepared to make your own decisions and leave early or stay and actively defend.
Alerts can be issues a number of ways:
The Emergency Alert – Frequently Asked Questions page has more information on how the alert system works.
Emergency WA - This website provides you with alerts to incidents in your area.
DFES: How to use and learn more about the Emergency WA Website
During a bushfire, emergency services will provide you as much information as possible through a number of different methods. Don't expect warnings to be issued in any particular order — the first you hear about could be an Emergency Warning.
Before a bushfire starts, Know what the Fire Danger Ratings and what they mean. They can provide you with advice about the level of bushfire threat on a particular day and how difficult and dangerous conditions will be if a fire starts. They are based on weather conditions forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology.
The Bureau of Meteorology issues fire weather warnings when forecast weather conditions are likely to be dangerous. Warnings are normally issued in the afternoon for the following day so as to be available for evening television and radio news broadcasts. Warnings are renewed at regular intervals and may be issued or amended and reissued at any time if a need is identified.
Prepare for a bushfire now and protect what matters most. Get started at: https://mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au/
There are a number of different agencies that provide advice and support in emergencies.
Here’s a list of key websites and emergency apps to visit for notifications and advice.
Fire Hazard Notice
Important Dates