Saturday: Total Fire Ban

THE Tasmania Fire Service has declared a total fire ban for the 24 hours from midnight tonight (Friday, January 5, 2018) until midnight Saturday, January 6.

A total fire ban applies to all outdoor fire, including incinerators, burn offs, campfires, fire pots and wood-fuelled barbecues.

This will affect multiple municipalities including the Derwent Valley and Central Highlands council areas.

The TFS says current weather predictions provided by the Bureau of Meteorology indicate Very High into Severe fire danger ratings for several districts in the state tomorrow. The conditions are forecast to be very windy and dry with temperatures in excess of 30 degrees.

The declaration of a Total Fire Ban means that no fires can be lit in the open air.

Landowners with fires already burning or fires they have recently had on their property are required to make sure they are completely extinguished.

A total fire ban applies
tomorrow in the north,
south, and Bass Strait
islands. Click to enlarge.

Some areas in the Southern and Northern Regions, particularly the South East, Upper Derwent Valley and East Coast may see temperatures greater than 30 degrees and wind gusts over 50km/h which will push fires rapidly making them dangerous and difficult to control.

"Grass and forest fuels are extremely dry and in abundance. Combined with hot, dry and windy weather, this makes controlling fires extremely difficult," TFS state fire controller Jeremy Smith said.

The Tasmania Fire Service, in conjunction with Parks and Wildlife Service and Sustainable Timber Tasmania (formerly Forestry Tasmania) has instigated a heightened state of readiness during the day including strategically placed firefighting strike teams and aircraft, pre-formed incident management teams as well as extra firefighting resources to be on standby to quickly deal with any outbreaks of fire.

"Tasmania Fire Service urges the public to heed the Total Fire Ban in place and to report any fires immediately by calling triple zero (000)," Mr Smith said. "Immediate reporting increases the likelihood that the fire can be contained quickly."

"When instances of high fire danger occur, it is important that people know exactly what to do if a fire threatens their home or property. To assist with this planning, residents are encouraged to visit the Tasmania Fire Service website to view the Community Bushfire Protection Plans for their area," Mr Smith said.

"These are developed to provide assistance in the event of an emergency that will inform residents of Nearby Safer Places, evacuation routes and how to receive emergency information. Information is also included that will assist in preparing individual emergency plans prior to a fire occurring." he said.

More information on Total Fire Bans and incidents in your area can be found at www.fire.tas.gov.au or by listening to ABC Radio.