Australian Bushfire Safety Tips

Bushfires can occur in Australia’s native bushland. The fires typically arise during the Australian summer months (November to February) due to high temperatures and dry weather.

Read our bushfire safety tips below.

Staying up to date

Bushfires can start and change direction very quickly. We encourage all visitors to Australia to check the latest bushfire warnings and updates to any areas they plan to travel to, as well as checking the Australian Government’s Bureau of Meteorology site (www.bom.gov.au) to see overall weather updates for all parts of Australia, including the latest fire warnings. For air quality information, visit www.air-quality.com.

For local updates, you can visit the following regional sites. 

• New South Wales www.rfs.nsw.gov.au 
• Victoria www.cfa.vic.gov.au
• Tasmania www.fire.tas.gov.au
• Australian Capital Territory www.esa.act.gov.au
• Northern Territory www.pfes.nt.gov.au
• Queensland www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au
• South Australia www.cfs.org.au
• Western Australia www.emergency.wa.gov.au

You can also check up-to-date news through:

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio – tune into 891 AM
• Bushfire Information Hotline – call 1300 362 361

Check before you go

If you have booked a trip to Australia, check in with your travel agent, tour operator or accommodation providers on local conditions and how best to enjoy your time in Australia. Even during extreme situations, the likelihood is that many areas of the country will still be unaffected. If unfortunately the area is within the bushfire radius, we encourage travellers to reschedule rather than cancel the booking. 

If you are independently driving, you can check local traffic sites to ensure that your route is still safe to drive.

Find out the Fire Danger Ratings

While you’re travelling, make sure to look up the Fire Danger Rating of your area which will inform you how dangerous a fire would be if it started. These are often included in TV, local radio, newspaper reports, and will be displayed on road signs. Make sure to adhere to total fire bans, or where fires are allowed, use designated fireplaces and always extinguish campfires completely with water. For any concerns, speak to your campsite for advice or visit the appropriate regional site listed above.

What to do in an emergency

In the event of an emergency, dial triple zero (000).