Fire Danger Period permits

5 min read

During Victoria's Fire Danger Period open-air burning is prohibited unless you have a valid fire permit. These permits are issued based on local conditions and are not guaranteed. If granted, they come with strict conditions. It's essential to apply for a permit well in advance, as processing can take up to two weeks during peak periods.

Summary

A Fire Danger Period (FDP) is a time when fire risk is high, usually from October to May in Victoria.
You need a fire permit for certain activities during a Fire Danger Period such as burning vegetation.
Apply for all fire permits online through Fire Permits Victoria.
Apply for your fire permit early because it can take up to 2 weeks.

Fire permits

Businesses or individuals who need to use fire in the open air to conduct their work or activity during the Fire Danger Period may require a permit.

Permit applications are assessed under the Country Fire Authority Act 1958.

If you apply for a permit during the Fire Danger Period, CFA will consider the current and expected local conditions before making a decision.

Applying for a permit does not mean you will automatically receive one.

If a permit is granted, it can be suspended or revoked by a granting officer because of the high weather risk or during a declared Total Fire Ban, and it may be revoked at any time by the granting officer.

Apply for your permit well ahead of time. During busy periods, permits can take up to two weeks to be processed.

Activities requiring a Fire Danger Period permit:

Bird scaring
Blow lamps or gas torches
Blacksmithing
Catering (applicant must hold a Temporary Food Premises / Stall permit from the relevant Municipal Health Officer)
Fire training
Fireworks and other uses of fire for public entertainment (applicant must hold a Pyrotechnical License)
Flares at a petroleum fractionation plant, a gas plant or any plant of a like nature
Hot Air Ballooning
Landowner vegetation burn - light fuels (like grass and stubble)
Landowner vegetation burn - heavy fuels (like trees and branches)

Who issues Fire Danger Period permits?

Who issues your permit depends on where the activity will take place:

CFA issues permits for activities in country areas of Victoria.
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) issues permits for activities in FRV fire districts.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) issues a different permit called a Permit to Burn, for activities in forests, national parks, protected public land, or fire-protected areas and within 1.5km of these areas.

How do I apply for a Fire Danger Period permit?

Apply for a Fire Danger Period permit online through Fire Permits Victoria.

If you are unable to apply online, contact your CFA District Office or FRV Regional Office. Your local council may also be able to assist you.

If you're not sure if your planned activity is within the country area of Victoria or the FRV fire district, the Fire Permits Victoria website will advise you once you enter the proposed address. You can also check the CFA & FRV boundaries.

Additional information

Some parts of Victoria are called fire protected areas. These are country areas that are within 1.5 km of forests, national parks or protected public land.

In these areas, fire restrictions are set by the Prohibited Period under the Forests Act.

The Prohibited Period usually lines up with CFA’s declared Fire Danger Period, but the exact dates can change depending on the bushfire risk each season.

You can find the current list of places and dates for the Prohibited Period on the Forest Fire Management Victoria website.

If you have a permit to use during the Fire Danger Period, it cannot be used on a Total Fire Ban Day.

On a Total Fire Ban Day, you may be able to apply for a Section 40 permit to light a fire, but only for very specific purposes.

Just like Fire Danger Period permits, who you apply to depends on where the activity is planned.

For more details see Total Fire Ban permits and apply online at Fire Permits Victoria.

Your granted fire permit has conditions that you must follow. If you don’t follow all the conditions in your permit, you are breaking the law and penalties can apply.

It is important to understand that even if you comply with all of the conditions you are still liable (civil or criminal) for any damage sustained by another person as a result of the fire you light.

When you are ready to undertake your activity or light your fire, you must notify the authorities listed in the conditions of your permit.

This can prevent the fire brigade from being dispatched unnecessarily. If someone sees your fire and calls 000, they might think it's an emergency, unless the call taker can cross reference to a registered activity.

Please check your permit to see who you need to notify.

The Fire Permits Victoria website also has information about notifying the use of your permit.

Page last updated: Tuesday, 9 June 2026 12:14:22 PM