Planned Burning - an introduction

	Today's planned burns See a map and summary of planned burns happening today.
	FireReady App The FireReady App provides timely and accurate bushfire information to mobile devices. The App is available for iPhones, iPads and Blackberries and will soon be available for Android smartphones. Now available for free download from iTunes and for Blackberry.
	Planning burns for the next three years Our Fire Operations Plans show where and when we intend to do fuel reduction works, including planned burns.
	Fire Management Zones We're streamlining the way we zone public land for fire management. These changes will help decide where, when and how often to burn to give the best protection from bushfires. Find out about the changes.
	DSE's planned burn program Find out about DSE’s planned burn program and how it protects people and the environment. Get to know the different types of planned burns and the expertise behind the program.
	Planned burn program for 2011 Find out about the program for this year.
	Deciding when and where to burn See what’s involved in making decisions about when and where DSE burns. Read about the conditions that can influence the decisions, including the weather. Find out how you can have a say in where DSE burns.
	Letting you know when we are burning How you can find out when we are burning.
	Smoke and health Find out where all the smoke comes from, why it hangs around, how to check if the smoke you see is a burn, and where you can find health advice.
	Reducing the impact of burns on the bush Learn about how DSE limits the effect of burns on native plants and animals.
	How we do our burns Get to know how DSE carries out a planned burn.
	Risks Read how DSE manages the risk of a burn escaping.

During an average summer, hundreds of bushfires occur in national parks, state forests, state parks and reserves across Victoria. Many fires are controlled before they cause much damage, but some become extremely hot and fast moving. To help manage the risk of intense bushfire, the Victorian Government, through the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Parks Victoria, carries out activities to reduce fuel, often with the help and expertise of the Country Fire Authority (CFA).

Because fire can occur naturally many native plants and animals have developed ways to survive bushfires. They have now come to depend on fire to maintain their health and habitat. DSE and Parks Victoria use fire to copy the natural cycles of fire in ways that help plants and animals thrive.

DSE’s planned burn program is the considered use of fire to protect life, property and the environment from the threat of bushfire, and to maintain the health of plants and animals that have come to depend on bushfires to survive.

More information about planned burns

• The dot point links above take you to a series of pages - each contains questions and answers that cover specific topics about planned burns.
• Use the photographs on these pages to learn more – hold the cursor over each image and information will appear in a pop-up box.
• Want more information? You’ll find this question in most sections. It will take you to more detailed information about a topic.
• Publications and research by theme: This link will also appear in most sections. Some will take you to Fire research reports - a range of DSE research and technical publications. Other documents include Living with Fire and the Code of Practice for Fire Management on Public Land. Other links will take you to specific fire ecology research sites.
• Want to print this information? This link on each page will download a copy of the page text in PDF format, ready for printing.