Planned Burns

Planned or prescribed burns are a bushfire management tool used to reduce fuel loads, mitigate the threat of unplanned fires and maintain the health of plants and ecosystems that need fire. Planned burns on public land are usually carried out by in larger state government reserves, such as national and state parks, by Forest Fire Management Victoria.

Planned Burns in Shire Reserves

While most of the Shire's reserve fire management is achieved through the work we undertake in Fire Management Zones, the Shire occasionally conducts planned burns in some of our larger reserves, often working collaboratively with the Country Fire Authority.

Generally, planned burns set out to achieve both fuel management and ecological outcomes. While we look to reduce fuel within reserves, we also aim to stimulate the regeneration of fire tolerant species and restore or maintain typical vegetation structure for specific vegetation types. We also aim to reduce environmental weeds, and carry out follow up weed control in burn sites.

When assessing potential sites for a planned burn there is a lot to consider, including fuel hazards, landscape context, fire ecology, burn history, burn suitability, surrounding land use, post-fire recovery, community impacts, risks to private property or other assets and environmental, cultural, heritage and community values. These are all evaluated by trained, experienced professionals as part of the Shire's comprehensive planned burning assessment process.

Staying Informed

Information on planned burns in Victoria is available on Forest Fire Management Victoria's Planned Burns page, the VicEmergency website or free call the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226.

When the Shire conducts a planned burn we notify nearby residents directly and provide advice on this webpage.