Travelling during Bushfire Season & Campfire Safety

​Every year, people are killed or seriously injured by bushfires. If you’re travelling or staying near bushland, fire is a real risk for you. 

​If you plan to travel in bushfire season it’s essential you know what to do if you encounter a bushfire.
 
DFES’ Travelling During Bushfire Season webpage and Bushfire Travellers Checklist publication provides information that can help you to:

• Understand what to do if you encounter a bushfire while travelling or staying near bushland;
• Know the current fire danger rating for the area you are travelling;
• Find out if there is a total fire ban in the area you are travelling;
• Know how to stay up to date with the latest bushfire information; and
• additional steps for travelling with a caravan.

 
An open campfire is part of camping. But campfires can easily cause a bushfire if you do not build or extinguish them correctly and at certain times of the year outside fires are prohibited.
Prohibited burning times are declared by Local Government stipulating the times of the year that it is unlawful to have an outside fires. This is separate to a Total Fire Ban that is declared for a day when a fire is most likely to spread rapidly (because of extreme fire weather) or if there are already widespread fires and resources are stretched.
DFES’ Campfire Safety webpage provides simple tips to stay safe when camping including:

• What to do before you light a fire including checking the Local Governments Prohibited Burning Periods and if there is a Total Fire Ban declared;
• Looking after your campfire; and
• Putting your campfire out.

 
For further bushfire information please visit dfes.wa.gov.au