Fire in coastal areas

6 min read

Coastal fires can be extremely hot and fast moving due to strong winds and highly flammable vegetation. Many people wrongly believe they will be safe from fire near the beach, but being near water doesn't guarantee your safety. Few roads in and out of these towns and many visitors can make it hard to escape during a fire. Learn about the risks of coastal areas and how to prepare on this page.

Summary

Coastal fires can be extremely dangerous.
Vegetation is tightly packed and highly flammable, creating intense fires.
Coastal shrubs can produce a shower of embers that start new fires.
Strong coastal winds can spread fire very quickly.
Packed towns with single lane roads can make it difficult to get out in summer.
Being near water doesn't guarantee your safety.
Be out of coastal areas on Extreme and Catastrophic Fire risk days.

Bushfires in coastal areas are extremely dangerous

A road runs along a hilly coastline. Vegetation is burnt on both sides of the road, right down to the sand. — Burnt vegetation on the coastline at Wye River not far from Lorne, 2015. The fire has jumped the road and burned right down to the beach.

A number of factors make coastal areas high risk environments:

Coastal vegetation, such as tea tree and coastal heath, is tightly packed and highly flammable, creating intense fires.
Dense, flammable forests nearby (such as in the Otways).
Very windy weather which quickly spreads fire.
Hilly landscapes that make fire more unpredictable.

Large parts of Victoria's coastline have Bushfire Management Overlays in place.

What to expect in a coastal bushfire

You can expect the following when a fire reaches a coastal environment:

Coastal shrubs can create a shower of embers that start spot fires.
Strong, gusty ocean winds can cause ember storms and quickly spread fire.
Fire can quickly reach houses near vegetation and easily spread to nearby properties.
Choking smoke, ash and embers in the air make it hard to see and breathe.
Deadly radiant heat, even if you are on the beach or in the water.
Panicked people trying to leave.
A high risk of car accidents and traffic jams on narrow, windy roads out of town.

Being near the water doesn't guarantee your safety

Fires will often burn in the scrub (coastal grasses and shrubs), between the beach and the road. Unless you are already on the beach when a fire starts, you might not be able to get safely to the shoreline.

If you make it to the shoreline, radiant heat can still reach you up to 100 metres away. Radiant heat, which is the extreme heat given off by a fire, is the biggest killer in a bushfire. Smoke and ash will also cause you to choke.

Be away from coastal areas on days of high fire risk

A birds eye view of a windy, isolated, single lane coastal road. — Single lane roads make it hard to get in and out of coastal towns in an emergency. Teddy's Lookout, Great Ocean Road. Supplied courtesy of Visit Victoria.

You don't want to be in a coastal area during a bushfire. Hot, fast moving fires, limited routes in and out of town and lots of people and cars make coastal areas a dangerous place to be in a fire.

The safest thing to do is to be out of coastal areas on Extreme and Catastrophic Fire Danger days.

Check the Fire Danger Rating over the hotter months. Don't wait and see if a fire develops before you take action.

What to do in a coastal bushfire

If you can't leave the area, stay aware and informed, and put your fire plan into action.

Tune into ABC local radio and check VicEmergency for emergency information.
Use your senses to monitor conditions. What can you smell and see?
Don't rely on getting to the beach. Fire might stop you from getting there and could trap you once there.
If you can, shelter away from the fire and vegetation. This could be in a building, in a car, at a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Bushfire Place of Last Resort, or another last resort option.

Case study

Aireys Inlet and Anglesea Fires - Ash Wednesday 1983

The Ash Wednesday fires of February 1983 devastated the coastal towns of Aireys Inlet and Anglesea.

Aireys Inlet firefighter, Ross Girvan remembers how strong the wind was that day.

“The hills were on fire. The wind was so intense, the tin roofs were peeling off houses like sardine lids and flying through the air."

He couldn't believe how quickly the fire spread.

"Only moments before we were looking at a column of smoke miles away, and now we were in the middle of an ember storm. Above us on the hills we could see spot fires starting. With the vegetation so dry and the wind, there was no way to stop the spot fires from taking off. A couple of holiday houses on the hills caught fire and there was nothing we could do."

Three people lost their lives and 729 houses were destroyed across both coastal towns in the fire.

Resources

Your Guide to Survival

This guide provides essential information for anyone who lives, works or travels in Victoria so that they are prepared for the summer fire season.

You'll learn why you should leave early on fire risk days, how to plan for fire season, what to expect during a bushfire and how to stay informed of fires across your area and more.

Download (PDF 1.4MB)