Fires & Emergencies

16 March to 30 September

Please ensure you are exercising caution with any burning off that you are conducting, even if it is during open season. The DFES website has some information to help landowners.

Responsible burning means:

• Only burning when weather conditions are favourable (avoiding hot, dry and windy conditions)
• Ensuring you have a suitable water supply to manage the fire should it grow out of control
• Supervising fires
• Maintaining firebreaks or clearing flammable material away from the edges of the planned fire
• Notifying your neighbours or local bushfire brigade where appropriate

This guide from DFES may also provide some helpful information. Our Firebreak Notice 2025-26 contains more information.

 1 October to 31 October; 1 February to 15 March

During a Restricted Burning period you must have a permit from the Chief Bushfire Control Officer to do any burning.

Permit Issuing Officers:

• Murray Thomas: 9928 1122 | 0428 281 157
• Paul Flanders:  0476 654 015

1 November to 31 January

Prohibited Burning means there is to be strictly no burning.

For queries or assistance, contact Chief Bushfire Control Officer Murray Thomas on 0428 281 157 or the Shire on 08 9928 1102.

A Total Fire Ban (TFB) is declared by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) on days when fires are most likely to threaten lives and property. This is because of predicted extreme fire weather or when there are already widespread fires and firefighting resources are stretched.

Occasionally TFBs may be declared outside of a fire season (such as in May or June) due to other factors such as higher temperatures and expected strong winds preceding a storm front.

On a Total Fire Ban day, it is illegal to light an open-air fire or conduct any activity that could start a fire.

You can find out more about TFBs, including what you are and are not allowed to do, by visiting the DFES website here.

How do I Know if a TFB is in Place?

• By checking the DFES website
• By phoning the TFB Information line on 1800 709 355
• Tune in to ABC Radio
• Listen to ABC Radio online here
• Check the Shire of Mingenew Facebook Page
• By applying for SMS updates via the Public Communications menu here

From time to time during the Restricted and Prohibited Burning period the Shire of Mingenew Chief Bush Fire Control Officer may impose a ban on the use or operation of any engine, vehicle, plant, equipment or machinery in the area. This ban is commonly referred to as a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban (HVMB).

A HVMB is imposed to restrict activities that are likely to cause a bush fire or contribute to the spread of a bush fire when the expected weather conditions indicate that if a wildfire was to start, it would be dangerous, destructive and difficult to stop once started.

On Total Fire Ban days when the Fire Danger Index (FDI) for the area is or exceeds 35, a HVMB must be imposed. During the bush fire season, the FDI is monitored throughout the day through various means including through physical weather readings taken in the field and through the monitoring of weather stations by the Shire’s Bushfire Brigade captains.

What is Not Permitted During a HVMB?

The following is an example of the activities NOT PERMITTED during a HVMB:

• harvesting operations are not permitted
• any “hot works” (eg welding, grinding, cutting, heating etc) in the open air are not permitted
• other – use or operation of any engine, vehicle, plant, equipment or machinery in the area likely to cause a bush fire or contribute to the spread of a bush fire (eg motor bikes, quad bikes or other motorised vehicles in bush or off-road areas including paddocks)

What is Permitted During a HVMB?

• movement of Vehicles on “gazetted roads” – as described in Bush Fires Regulation 24A(1) and Road Traffic Act

  1974 section 5.1)

• movement of vehicles on a lane, driveway, yard or other area that provides access to, or a parking facility at, any residential, farming or business premises, if the area has been sufficiently cleared of inflammable material to prevent the escape of fire.
• use or operation of a vehicle if it is for the prevention of an immediate and serious risk to the health or safety of a person or livestock, and only if all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent the activity from creating a bush fire danger
• use or operations of vehicles and undertaking of “hot works” by those persons holding a current Exemption under Bush Fires Act 1954 s. 22C (exemption from Total Fire Bans).

How do I know if a HVMB is in place?

• Contact the Shire on 08 9928 1102
• Tune in to ABC Radio at 10:05am, 12:35pm and 2:05pm for live notifications
• Listen to ABC Radio online here at 10:05am, 12:35pm and 2:05pm for live notifications
• Check the Shire of Mingenew Facebook Page
• By applying for SMS updates via the Public Communications menu here

The penalty for failing to comply with the Firebreak Notice is a fine of up to $400. A person in default is also liable , whether prosecuted or not, to pay the cost of performing the work in this notice, if it is not carried out by the owner or Occupier by the date required by this notice.

• Failure to maintain a firebreak as per firebreak order – $250
• Offence relating lighting a fire in the open air – $250
• Setting fire to bush during prohibited burning period – $250

Bushfire volunteers are essential in assisting the Mingenew community to effectively prevent, prepare, respond, and recover from bushfires and emergencies in the district. In becoming a volunteer you will be provided with the necessary training, skills, equipment and ongoing support required to ensure you are safe and ready to perform the duties of the role. Further information about volunteering in emergency services can be found here.

Should you wish to become a volunteer, we encourage you to contact the Shire, your local Brigade Captain or a Bush Fire Control Officer. To register, please complete the membership application form and submit to the Shire Office or email to enquiries@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

Training is an essential part of keeping our community safe and our volunteers protected. All bushfire brigade members are required to complete basic training before attending incidents or operating equipment.

This training ensures volunteers:

• Understand firefighting techniques and safety procedures

• Can use equipment correctly and confidently

• Work effectively as part of a coordinated emergency response

Ongoing refresher courses and advanced training opportunities are also available to help volunteers build their skills and stay up to date with best practices.

By completing the required training, you’re not only protecting yourself and your fellow firefighters — you’re helping safeguard the entire community.

Rural Fire Awareness

Rural Fire Awareness is targeted at farmer response brigades and seasonal workers to provide students with a basic awareness of fireground safety, suppression strategies and maintaining their safety when operating on a fireground. Rural Fire Awareness is the minimum standard for farmer response and support personnel.

This course is delivered online and information on the course and how to access the training is provided below:

Registered Volunteers – click here to find out how to complete this course online

(you will need to login to the Volunteer Hub – please contact the Shire to obtain your volunteer ID if required)

Non-registered Volunteers – click here to find out how to complete this course online

Bushfire Safety Awareness

This course covers the skills and knowledge required for volunteers to identify characteristics and behaviour of fire, methods/strategies to operate safely (and survive) on the fire ground and considerations when selecting fire suppression strategies.

Bushfire safety awareness is made up of three modules and has been designed to be completed in the following order:

• Bushfire characteristics and behaviour

• Bushfire safety and survival

• Suppress bushfire

This course is part of the minimum recommended standard for all personnel undertaking bushfire suppression or planned burning activities, using fire appliances – ideally for all town brigade members.

Bushfire Safety Awareness is delivered in-person and can be arranged through the Shire.

Firefighting Skills

This course covers the skills and knowledge required for volunteers to use equipment safely on the fire ground.

The recommended minimum standard for all personnel undertaking bushfire suppression or planned burning activities is the completion of both Bushfire safety awareness and Firefighting skills.

This course is made up of five different modules:

• Introduction to map reading

• Introduction to communications

• Tools and equipment

• Ropes and ladders (requirement dependent on Brigade role*)

• Crew protection (requirement dependent on Brigade role*)

This course is also only delivered in person and can be arranged through the Shire.

A new and nationally consistent bushfire danger rating system starts across Australia on 1 September 2022, providing clearer and more accurate information to communities at risk of bushfire.

The Australian Fire Danger Rating System brings together the latest science and knowledge of fire behaviour, and is supported by extensive community research. It is the most significant change to the fire danger rating system in more than 50 years.

Under the previous system, fire danger ratings were based on only bush and grass. The new system uses eight different types of vegetation, which have been mapped across the entire country.

The Signs

The display of daily ratings has been simplified to use four levels of fire danger rating, with simple actions for the community to take at each level.

• MODERATE – Plane and Prepare – most fires can be controlled.
• HIGH – Be ready to act – fires can be dangerous.
• EXTREME – Take action now to protect life and property – fires will quickly spread and be extremely dangerous.
• CATASTROPHIC – for your survival, leave bushfire risk areas – if fire starts and takes hold, lives are likely to be lost.

Fore more information visit https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/hazard-information/bushfire/prepare

Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA advises you to:

• Review your cyclone plan and make sure everyone knows what to do.
• If you plan to leave, be sure to give yourself plenty of time.
• Make sure your emergency kit is ready with essential supplies like food and water.
• Prepare your home inside and out.
• Holidaymakers and people travelling through the area should speak with their accommodation provider about their cyclone plan and decide what they will do if the cyclone will impact the area.
• Do not drive into water of unknown depth and current. If the road is closed, it means its closed.
• Take care in areas that have been flooded and be careful driving on gravel roads as surfaces will be slippery and muddy, and vehicles could become bogged