The official fire danger period will begin in Wyndham, Melton, Hume and Whittlesea on Monday.
The fire danger period will begin at 1am in the four areas, which are all in the CFA’s North West Region.
The latest Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Victoria, released on November 26, said that due to significant grass growth, 2020-21 “has the potential to be more of a grassfire-dominated season”.
CFA District 14 acting assistant chief fire officer Paul Elso said “fire potential is only going to increase with the warmer weather over the next three months”.
Mr Elso said that once the fire danger period comes into effect, the CFA will have a zero-tolerance approach to any fires caused by negligent behaviour.
“Expect any escaped or uncontrolled fire you start to be investigated by CFA and Victoria Police,” he said.
During the fire danger period, fires must not be lit in the open air without a written permit from the CFA or a Municipal Fire Prevention Officer.
A written permit is required to burn off grass, undergrowth, weeds or other vegetation during the fire danger period.
Lighting a fire in the open without a permit is an offence and can incur a penalty of more than $19,000 and up to 12 months imprisonment.
Barbeques and fires for cooking and warmth do not require a permit, but must be lit in properly-constructed fireplaces.
All burn-offs should be registered with the VicFire Burn-off notification line on 1800 668 511.
