Fire restrictions will begin in Golden Plains Shire on Monday, November 26, weeks after Ballarat.
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Crews have attended two fires in the last week in the area, an escaped burnoff near Grenville and an abandoned campfire near Scarsdale.
Golden Plains Shire overlaps two fire districts, District 15, which covers Ballarat, and District 7, covering Geelong.
District 15 operations officer Gavin Hope said the north end of Golden Plains was particularly dry.
“(It) makes it a real fire risk, as we've seen this week,” he said.
"Closer to Geelong it's still pretty green.”
District 7’s Ian Beswick said the date was chosen based on fuel loads.
“The grass is starting to dry off a bit in our patch, there’s a fair bit of looking into it,” he said, noting other agencies, like Parks Victoria and DELWP was also consulted.
“We could have brought it in earlier but it would have affected farmers and people trying to do the right thing.
“Our group officers, who are often farmers, they might say “we’re looking pretty dry”, and we consider harvesting - you don’t want to make it harder for croppers.”
The shire is one of the last in Victoria to begin restrictions.
Ballarat’s restrictions began on November 5, and the first in the state, in Wellington and East Gippsland shires, began in September.
Golden Plains Shire chief executive Eric Braslis said more than 8000 properties had been inspected for fire hazards.
“Council is pleased to report a 50 per cent drop in non-compliant properties compared to last year,” he said.
“Residents who have received a Fire Prevention Notice must complete the detailed works by the due date.
“Council reminds all residents that they are responsible for maintaining their property to the fire prevention guidelines, so residents heading out of town should ensure make sure their home is prepared. Also remember to review and restock your emergency kit and to confirm a home emergency plan with holiday visitors.”
The fire danger period, which officially begins 1am Monday, means people will need a permit to light a fire in the open air.
Campfires can be lit in trenches at least 30cm deep if the wind is less than 10kmh and someone is supervising with the means to extinguish the fire, and the fire is not left unattended.
Burn offs require a written permit issues by a fire prevention officer or the CFA district office.
Lighting a fire in the open without a permit is an offence and can bring a penalty of more than $19,000 and/or 12 months imprisonment.
More information is available on the CFA’s website.
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