Fire break information

What is a Fire Break?

A fire-break is a strip of land that has been cleared of all trees, shrubs, grass or other flammable materials to act as a barrier to help stop the  the spread or size of a fire.

Fire breaks also allow access for firefighting vehicles to all areas of your property.

Firebreaks are required for the following reasons:

• Provide a safe area for firefighters to work from in a bushfire.
• Prevent the extension of a bushfire.
• Prevent a fire from entering or leaving your property.
• Provide a starting point to contain a bushfire.

What are the legal firebreak requirements for my property?

It is the landowners responsibility to maintain and ensure the standard and quality of firebreaks on their land. All Firebreaks must be installed by 15 September  and maintained free of all flammable material up to and including 15 March as per requirements in relation to Section 33 of the Bush Fire Act 1954.

Properties will be inspected to ensure they comply with Council Requirement with Firebreak requirements based on risk and land size.

Check below for the specific legal requirements for you and your property.

Townsites

On or before 1 October  all town  lots within the townsites of  Morawa, Gutha, Koolanooka Merkanooka, Pintharuka and Canna are required to be treated as follows:

Where the area of land is less than 3,000m², the property must be cleared, mowed or slashed to a MAXIMUM height of 7.5cm of all flammable material.

Where the area of the land is 3,000m² or more, a firebreak must be   provided not less than 3m in width inside and along the whole of the external boundaries of the properties owned or occupied and all flammable material must be cleared 3m in distance from all buildings and/or haystacks situated on the land and maintained free of such  material until 15th March.

Rural Land

Firebreaks must be provided not less than 3m in width inside and along the whole of the external boundaries of the properties owned or occupied; where this is not practicable the firebreaks must be provided as near as possible to, and within, such boundaries.

Farm Buildings and Unattended Electric Motors and Haystacks

Firebreaks at least 3m in width completely surrounding and not more than 20m from the perimeter of any building, group of buildings or  haystacks.  All flammable material must be removed from an area 3m in width immediately surrounding the building. All flammable material must be removed from an area 3m in width immediately surrounding an unattended electric motor site.

Barbeques and Incinerators

Gas and electric barbeques are permitted at all times. Solid fuel barbeques and incinerators are PROHIBITED on days of VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER or above.

Fuel Storage Sites

On or before 1 October all grass and similar material is to be cleared from such places where fuel is stored/located and where drums, empty or full, are stored and such areas to be maintained and cleared of grass and similar flammable material until 15th March.

Unattended Fuel Operated Motors

All flammable material must be removed from an area 3m in width immediately surrounding an unattended fuel operated motor whether the motor is intended to be used or not.

Tree plantations of more than 3 hectares but less than 10 hectares

Construct a 10m wide mineral earth firebreak with a vertical clearance of 4m high, clear of all inflammable material immediately surrounding the plantation (adjacent areas of the same property subject to provisions as for rural land).

Plantations larger than 10 hectares

Comply with the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations in the Western Australia Guideline for Plantation Fire Protection.

A copy is available from the Shire of Morawa upon request.

Fines and Infringements

PENALTIES

Failure to maintain a firebreak as per Firebreak Order                     $250

Offence relating to lighting a fire in the open air                               $250

Setting fire to bush during Prohibited Burning Period                     $250

Failure of occupier to extinguish  a bushfire                                        $250

Refusal to state name and abode or stating a false details            $100

Failure to produce Permit to Burn                                                           $100

The penalty for failing to comply with the Shire's Fire Break Notice is a fine of up to $400 and a person in default is also liable, whether prosecuted or not, to pay the cost of performing the work.

What should my Fire break look like?

Compliant Firebreaks-

Non-Compliant Firebreak-

To download  the DFES fire break fact sheet, click icon the below link-

DFES Fire Break Fact Sheet

For more information on Fire breaks and best ways to be prepared for a bush fire visit the DFES Website website-

DFES Website

Total Fire Ban

A Total Fire Ban (TFB) is declared by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) when we are experiencing extreme weather or bushfires are seriously stretching firefighting resources. Total Fire Bans are generally declared the evening before they take effect.

Any permits which have been issued are suspended during a Total Fire Ban. 

When a Total Fire Ban is declared any activities that include the lighting of any fires in the open air and any other activities that may start a fire are prohibited.

These activities include-

• All open air fires for cooking or camping such as use any barbecue, smoker, wood fired pizza ovens, pellet smokers and kettle barbecues or cooker that requires solid or liquid fuel such as methylated spirits, kerosene, wood, briquettes, wood pellets or charcoal in an area that is not fully enclosed. Undercover areas such as patios, pergolas and huts are not considered fully enclosed as they are generally partially open.
• Camp Fires or Bon Fires
• Burning off of Vegetation on your property
• Backyard fire pits
• Outdoor use of a welder or power operated abrasive cutting discs of any kind including grinding, soldering, gas cutting and all other forms of ‘hot work’.
• Use a vehicle off-road such as in the bush, paddock or any land which contains vegetation (alive or dead). You can only use a vehicle on a road, track or in an area which does not contain vegetation i.e. sand, clay. The only exception is if the activity is part of Agricultural Activity and a HVMB has not been issued by the Shire of Morawa.
• Use of incinerators

or more information including exemptions visit  DFES Website

Or to find out if there is a Total Fire Ban in Place visit  Emergency WA Website

or you can download the Total Fire Ban fact sheet from DFES.  

Total Fire Ban Fact Sheet

Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans

Due to Morawa's hot and dry climate Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans must be followed to avoid the possibility of causing a  bush fire, particularly during hotter parts of the year.

All Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans (HVMB) are issued by the Shire of Morawa and are advertised on our website or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/shireofmorawa

The Shire of Morawa also has a dedicated SMS facility that will send a Text Message directly to your Mobile device when Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban's are issued.

To be included in this service please contact the Shire of Morawa administration on (08)9971 1204 or admin@morawa.wa.gov.au.

Many factors come into account when a HVMB is issued these include-

• Unfavourable fire weather conditions.
• Extreme weather (heat or wind)
• Lack of firefighting resources due to existing commitments.

When a HVMB is issued you are prohibited from operating anything that is operated by an internal combustion engine on land with vegetation, for example:

• Harvesting
• Driving cars, ATV’s or motorbikes  
• Operating drill rigs/machinery
• Clearing vegetation including clearing as part of road construction
• Slashing road verges
• Lawn mowing services by businesses or local governments.

NO harvesting operations are permitted on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. A separate fire fighting appliance is required to be present in any paddock being harvested, chaining, raking stubble, straw baling and associated allied activities during restricted and prohibited periods. The fire fighting unit must be in a state of readiness and have a minimum capacity of 400 litres of water, a powered pump and hose. The farm fire fighting unit should be parked on bare ground in or near the harvesting or working area.

A Harvesting and Movement Ban and Use of Internal Combustion Engines (except for the watering and movement of stock) will be imposed when the actual weather conditions reach a Fire Behaviour Index (FBI) rating of Thirty Two (32) or above at the weather stations of two (2) Bush Fire Control Officers. All such bans are at the discretion of the Chief Bush Fire Control Officer or a duly appointed person.

Fines for not breaching a declared Harvest and Movement Ban come under Regulation 24C penalties include $1,000 infringement, $25,000 fine, and/or 12 months in jail for serious violations. Under regulation 38A an infringement of $250 or a $5000 fine.