Woodpiles and fire season
A woodpile against the house is fuel and an ember trap in summer. CFA's advice is to keep it at least 10 m away.
We connect you with a local firewood supplier who works in the hills.
Ask for a quoteDandenong Ranges. Photo: Uzman Naleer, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ten metres from the house
CFA's guide to landscaping for bushfire lists woodpiles among the things that should not sit within 10 m of the house. Its fire-season advice puts it more bluntly: in summer a woodpile is an ember trap, so move it away for the warmer months.
On the planning maps the Bushfire Management Overlay covers most of the hills suburbs, many of them entirely. Each suburb's page says how much of it.
Checked 25 October 2026 against CFA: Landscaping for Bushfire (version 3, June 2022), CFA: preparing for bushfire season and Vicmap Planning, the state's zone and overlay maps (DataVic), measured across the suburb.
Total Fire Ban days
On a Total Fire Ban day, every fire for warmth or comfort in the open air is banned: fire pits, braziers and chimineas, and solid-fuel pizza ovens and barbecues. CFA defines the open air as anywhere not inside a permanent structure with a roof and fully enclosed walls. Penalties go up to a $46,000 fine, two years in prison, or both.
CFA's pages don't deal with an indoor wood heater on a ban day by name. If you're unsure about yours, ask CFA before the day rather than on it.
Checked 25 October 2026 against CFA: can I or can't I? and CFA: about the Fire Danger Period and Total Fire Ban days.
The Fire Danger Period
Outside ban days but inside the Fire Danger Period, a fire pit, chiminea or pizza oven can be used only when the wind is 10 km/h or less, in a properly built fireplace (a bought fire pit or chiminea counts), with 3 m clear around and above it, no bigger than 1 m², attended the whole time and put out properly. Burning off needs a permit. Penalties go up to a $23,000 fine, 12 months in prison, or both.
CFA declares the period council by council. Its fire restriction dates page gives the current dates for your council.
Checked 25 October 2026 against CFA: can I or can't I?, CFA: about the Fire Danger Period and Total Fire Ban days and CFA: fire restriction dates.
Before the first fire of winter
CFA says chimneys and flues should be cleaned every year, because creosote builds up and catches fire, and birds may nest in a chimney over spring and summer. Keep anything that can burn a metre from the heater, use a fire screen, and put the fire out before bed or before leaving the house.
Checked 25 October 2026 against CFA: heating safety and EPA Victoria: remember where smoke goes (30 June 2025).
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