South Gippsland has experienced a dramatic increase in escaped burn-offs this autumn, with local CFA brigades reporting more than triple the number of incidents compared to the same period last year.

Data given to the Prom Coast News by the CFA, shows that District 9, which covers South Gippsland, has 29 escaped burn-offs between March 1 and May 2025, compared to just nine during the same period in 2024 and five in 2023. The spike has prompted urgent calls for landowners to exercise greater caution when conducting property maintenance burns.

"Just because you CAN burn off doesn't mean you SHOULD burn off," warned the Toora CFA in a recent social media post highlighting the danger of strong winds forecasted across the region. Multiple brigades including Toora, Foster, Welshpool, Fish Creek, and Yanakie have responded to numerous incidents in recent days, with call-outs occurring at all hours.

Volunteers report that many fires have escaped control due to high winds, with some spreading into trees despite the formal fire restrictions having been lifted. "It is still as dry as a desert out there and with these warm northerly winds it won't take much to reignite a fire," the Toora CFA statement explained.

The issue extends beyond South Gippsland, with CFA volunteers across Victoria responding to 936 incidents caused by escaped burn-offs in the past year, consuming over 19,000 volunteer hours. Acting CFA Chief Officer Garry Cook AFSM emphasised that unattended burn-offs represent a significant and preventable risk.

"Our message is clear – please don't leave your burn-off unattended," Cook said. "We ask landowners have enough people and water on hand to monitor, contain and extinguish their burn-off safely and consistently monitor wind conditions before and after the burning day."

Authorities are strongly encouraging landowners to register planned burn-offs through the Fire Permits Victoria website (www.firepermits.vic.gov.au/notify), which allows Triple Zero operators to verify whether smoke sightings are from registered burns or genuine emergencies.

Triple Zero Victoria Chief Operating Officer Nicole Ashworth said registering burn-offs helps emergency services prioritize genuine emergency calls. "Check the weather, plan ahead and notify us online through Fire Permits Victoria's website - it's fast, easy and most importantly, allows our call-takers to focus on emergency calls," Ashworth said.

Local CFA brigades suggest landowners consider postponing burn-offs until after significant rainfall, citing the continuing dry conditions as a major risk factor. They also remind residents to download the VicEmergency App to monitor weather conditions and fire danger alerts. Cara Schultz