Burning periods and fire danger ratings

Current burning period

The Restricted Burning Period (Spring/Summer) for the Shire of Augusta Margaret River will begin at 12.01am on Sunday 9 November, and will remain in place until Monday 22 December unless advised otherwise.

This means that a Permit to Burn is required prior to lighting any fire in the open air, in accordance with the following conditions:

• Residents and landowners wanting to burn garden refuse on their property may burn one small pile up to 1 cubic metre without a Permit, however it can only be lit between 6pm and 11pm and must be fully extinguished before midnight on the same day. A courtesy call to your area Fire Control Officer (FCO) is also recommended.
• All issued Permits are suspended on any day with a Fire Danger Rating of HIGH or above, or during a Total Fire Ban.

To obtain a Permit, contact your local area Fire Control Officer. Please allow up to 72 hours for an FCO to attend your property to assess your Permit application.

To check the current Fire Danger Rating or to find out if a Total Fire Ban has been issued, visit the Emergency WA website.  

Please monitor the Shire's website and social media for updates and always call your area Fire Control Officer or the Shire Rangers to check prior to lighting up.

Find out more through the following links:

• Prepare for a Bushfire
• Firepits, BBQs and Pizza Ovens
• Burning of Garden Refuse
• Total Fire Bans and Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans
• Firebreak Notice Requirements and Bushfire Information 2024-25

Annual burning periods 

The following are guidelines only, refer to Current Burning Period for up to date information.  

Prohibited Burning period from 23 December to 14 March (unless stated otherwise). Burning is NOT allowed.

Restricted Burning periods:

• 9 November - 22 December (Spring/Summer period).
• 15 March - 12 May (Autumn period).

A Permit to Burn is required during the Restricted Burning periods.

Please note: The above dates are subject to change at short notice due to variable weather conditions. Please monitor the Shire’s website and social media for updates and always call your area Fire Control Officer (FCO) or the Shire Rangers to check prior to lighting up. 

Fire danger ratings and bushfire warning system

The Fire Danger Rating tells you how dangerous a fire would be if one started.

Ratings are forecast based on weather and other environmental conditions such as fuel load.

The ratings are:

• Moderate
• High
• Extreme
• Catastrophic

To view current Fire Danger Ratings visit the Emergency WA website.

Find out about the Australian Bushfire Warning System and how to prepare a bushfire plan.

More information and contact

For more information, please contact the Shire on (08) 9780 5255 or email [email protected]