Firewood in Sassafras

Two councils on one ridge

Sassafras sits in a saddle on top of the ridge at about 500 m, on the watershed between the Yarra and Dandenong Creek. The council line runs through it too. Most of the locality is in the Shire of Yarra Ranges, and roughly an eighth is in Knox. The address decides which council's rules apply, and they differ.

Checked 25 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Sassafras, Victoria and Vicmap Planning, the state's zone and overlay maps (DataVic), measured across the suburb.

Heaters and smoke

In Knox the council asks for a wood heater certified to AS 4012 and AS 4013 and installed by a licensed person, and it lists offcuts, fence materials and sleepers among the things not to burn. Smoke from a neighbour goes first to a conversation, then to the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, then to Knox on 9298 8000. On the Yarra Ranges side, smoke questions go to the council on 1300 368 333.

Either side, EPA Victoria's advice is the same: dry, seasoned, untreated hardwood, stored under cover for at least 8 months. The wood smoke guide has more.

Checked 25 October 2026 against Knox City Council: wood heaters and woodsmoke, Yarra Ranges Council: wood heaters, burning off and air quality and EPA Victoria: manage smoke from wood heaters.

Burning off, by address

Knox needs a Permit to Burn, and gives none in the Fire Danger Period, in June or July, or on a Total Fire Ban day. Yarra Ranges sorts addresses into urban, bushland and rural burning categories with their own days and permits. A fire pit in the open air is banned anywhere on a Total Fire Ban day.

Checked 25 October 2026 against Knox City Council: burning off, Yarra Ranges Council: burning off and CFA: can I or can't I?.

Bushfire ground

Land around the town has burnt since the 1850s, most recently in 1962. The Bushfire Management Overlay now covers every part of Sassafras, on both sides of the council line, and CFA's landscaping guide puts woodpiles at least 10 m from the house.

Much of the west of the locality is inside Dandenong Ranges National Park, and so is the reserve along Sassafras Creek. Collecting firewood there isn't allowed. The collecting guide lists where it is.

Checked 25 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Sassafras, Victoria, Vicmap Planning, the state's zone and overlay maps (DataVic), measured across the suburb, CFA: Landscaping for Bushfire (version 3, June 2022) and Parks Victoria: using firewood.

Over the saddle

Olinda, Ferny Creek and Sherbrooke

All Yarra Ranges, so one set of burning rules.

Tremont and The Basin

West, down the face of the range. Tremont is almost all national park; The Basin is all Knox.

Checked 25 October 2026 against Vicmap Planning, the state's zone and overlay maps (DataVic), measured across the suburb and Wikipedia: Tremont, Victoria.