Learn how to understand the bushfire warning system, create a bushfire plan and prepare your property for bushfire season.
Bushfire Warning System
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and the Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions issue bushfire warnings in Western Australia.
The bushfire warning levels are:
- Advice (yellow alert): A fire has started but there is no immediate danger. Stay alert and watch for signs of a fire. Be aware and keep up to date.
- Watch and Act (orange alert): A fire is approaching and there is a possible threat to lives or homes. You must start to act. If your plan is to leave, make sure you leave early. If your plan is to stay, check all your equipment is ready. Only stay and defend if you are mentally and physically prepared.
- Emergency Warning (red alert): An out-of-control fire is approaching fast and you need to take immediate action to survive. If you haven’t prepared your home it is too late. You must leave now if it is safe to do so, or seek shelter.
Find out more about bushfire warnings on the DFES website.
My Bushfire Plan
Do you and your family know what to do in the event of a bushfire? Do you have a bushfire safety plan prepared and an emergency kit packed?
The My Bushfire Plan app is a bushfire preparedness tool, providing you with one place to prepare, store, share and update your bushfire plan anytime, from any device.
Features included:
- Helps you determine the safest plan for you
- Complete a step-by-step plan in your own time tailored to you, and save it for the future
- Create an account so you can access the plan on the web or on other devices
- Ability to share your plan with your family
- Check seasonal reminders to help you and your family prepare for bushfire season
- Receive notifications for important seasonal reminders to help you prepare
- When your plan is ready you can access it offline, whenever you need it.
Developed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), you can download the app to your phone (through Google Play or App Store), or complete the plan via the My Bushfire Plan website.
Go to My Bushfire Plan.
Emergency WA
The Emergency WA website has a map-based display with the best available emergency information from across the State.
Emergency WA provides current warning alerts for fires, floods, storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, hazardous material incidents and traffic crashes.
The ServiceWA App now includes Emergency WA bushfire warning notifications, sent based on your current location. Developed by the Government of Western Australia, you can download the app to your phone (through Google Play or the App Store)
Maintaining your property
By law, all landowners/occupiers need to carry out fire prevention work.
To protect your house, you need to maintain an Asset Protection Zone (APZ) all year round regardless of your property size. This is the 20-metre distance surrounding your home. Some properties also require firebreaks.
Find out more through the following links:
More information and contact
More detailed information on how to prepare for a bushfire is available on the DFES website.
Local Bushfire Ready Facilitators are available to help give you pointers on ways to prepare your property and develop an emergency plan. They can also attend a local community street meet or gathering to help your neighbourhood prepare.
For areas north of Witchcliffe contact Gordon on 0419 954 658. The contact for areas south of Witchcliffe will be advised once the position is filled.