Burning off and open air burning

Open air burning is often used to reduce fuel loads of green waste or for ecological purposes.

A permit is required from Council to open air burn on land less than 4,000 square metres.

A permit is not required from Council to burn on land 4,000 square metres or more, except where the fire is lit for genuine fuel reduction purposes. The fire is required to be registered with ESTA and reasonable attempts have been made to notify the occupier of each property adjoining and immediately across the road from the land on which the fire is to be lit.

Before burning-off the CFA states:

• Check and follow local regulations or laws set down by CFA or Council.
• Notify neighbours at least two hours before starting the burn.
• Notify the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) on 1800 668 511 to register your burn.
• Check the weather forecast for the day of the burn and a few days afterwards.
• Check the fuel moisture conditions.
• Establish a fire break of no less than three metres cleared of all flammable material.
• Make sure there are enough people to monitor, contain and extinguish the burn safely and effectively.

Register your burn with Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA)

It is important that if you are burning-off you register with ESTA, unregistered burn-offs can cause fire brigades to be called out unnecessarily.

Register your burn-off with ESTA

Please ensure you read the relevant permit to burn conditions(PDF, 186KB)  prior to applying for a permit.

Apply for a permit to burn 

Printable hard copy forms: 

Permit to Burn Outside Fire Danger Period Permit Application Form(PDF, 395KB)

A permit to burn is required for open air burning on land less than 4,000 square metres outside the declared Fire Danger Period. These permits are also not valid on a total fire ban day.

You do not require a permit if your land is 4.000 square metres or greater or in a designated bushfire prone area, except where the fire is lit for genuine fuel reduction purposes, and

(a) The fire has been registered with ESTA and reasonable attempts have been made to notify the occupier of each property adjoining and immediately across the road from the land on which the fire is to be lit; and

(b) Until any fire lit has been completely extinguished:

(i) The perimeter of the burning area is regularly patrolled;

(ii) The fire is monitored to make sure smoke is not impacting on neighbouring properties or causing a traffic hazard;

(iii) An adequate number of adults and adequate fire suppression equipment or appliances are present; and

(iv) Any fire is extinguished and left in a state so that it does not reignite; and

(c) In the case of any pile fire burning, it is undertaken in accordance with the following:

(i) With a pile size no more than six (6) metres long by six (6) metres wide and three (3) metres in height of vegetation;

(ii) Material can be added to the fire, provided that the pile size is never permitted to exceed the area and height restrictions in sub-clause (i); and

(iii) More than one fire is permitted to be alight at any one time as long as there are enough people to monitor, contain and extinguish the fires safely and effectively if required; and

(d) Where a rural farming property manager, as part of their farm management practices, wishes to undertake a linear fire burn, being for the creation of a fire break along their property boundaries or for the removal of crops, grass or stubble with a slow burn type of operation, the property manager must ensure General Local Law No.1 - 2023 Clauses 42, 43(3)(a) and 43(3)(b) are followed.

Any property owner who wishes to obtain a Permit to Burn during the Declared Fire Danger Period (DFDP) can apply directly to Fire Permits Victoria or to Council's Municipal Fire Prevention Officer (MFPO). However, Permits will only be issued by Council’s MFPO in extenuating circumstances which impact upon biosecurity.