Businesses or individuals who need to use fire in the open air to conduct their work or activity on a day of Total Fire Ban may require a permit.
The open air is defined as any place that is not within a permanent structure - consisting of a roof and fully enclosed on all sides. It includes a caravan but does not include a tent.
Permit applications are assessed in accordance with the Country Fire Authority Act 1958.
Permits will only be issued for Total Fire Ban days when the granting officer agrees the use of fire to be necessary. Permits may or may not be granted.
Applications for a Total Fire Ban permit will only be considered for specified purposes including:
- Carrying out necessary work / business activity
- Public Entertainment
- Religious or cultural purposes.
Submitting an application does not guarantee that you will get a permit. Any permit granted may be suspended or revoked by the granting officer at any time. Some activities do not allow you to use your permit on days where a catastrophic fire danger rating has been reached. Please check your permit conditions carefully.
Activities requiring a Total Fire Ban permit:
- Bee keeping - using bee smokers
- Blow lamps or gas torches
- Catering - including using gas, electricity, liquid fuel and solid fuel (applicant must hold a Temporary Food Premises/Stall permit from the relevant Municipal Health Officer)
- Emergency flares at civil and military aerodromes
- Fireworks and other uses of fire for public entertainment (applicant must hold a Pryotechnical License)
- Flares at a petroleum fractionation plant, a gas plant or any plant of a like nature
- Gas flare off
- HDPE pipe joining
- Heating and spreading of bitumen and like substances
- Industrial heat testing
- Hot air ballooning (applicant must be a commercial operator)
- Operating a diesel or gas fired steam cleaner or hot wash
- Some religious or cultural ceremonies and activities
- Safety fuses in blasting operations
- Sawmill waste and refuse burners
- Welding, cutting and/or grinding
There may be other activities that require a permit on a day of Total Fire Ban. If you are unsure, please complete an application and select ‘Other’ and we will assess your application.
Who can apply for a Total Fire Ban permit?
- Community organisations
- Charitable organisations
- Fundraising organisations
- Statutory corporations
- Municipal Councils
- Industrial operations, businesses and sole traders
Who issues Total Fire Ban permits?
Depending on the location of the activity, the assessment of applications and granting of Total Fire Ban permits may be done by:
- CFA if the planned activity is within the country area of Victoria or
- Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) if the planned activity is within the FRV fire district
- Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) if the planned activity is within any forest, national park, protected public or fire protected area.
How do I apply for a Total Fire Ban permit?
- Total Fire Ban permits issued by CFA, FRV or DEECA can be applied for online through Fire Permits Victoria.
- If you are unable to apply online for permit applications within the country area of Victoria contact your local CFA District Office.
- If you are unable to apply online for permit applications within the FRV fire district or DEECA managed public land and fire protected areas, contact your local FRV Regional Office or DEECA Regional Office.
If you are not sure if your planned activity is within the country area of Victoria or the FRV fire district, please check the CFA & FRV boundaries. Further information about fire restrictions on public land and fire protected areas can be found on the Forest Fire Management Victoria website. Note: If applying online, the system will work out which agency is aligned to your application.
Other important information:
Country area of Victoria
The country area of Victoria means that part of Victoria which lies outside the FRV fire district, but does not include any forest, national park or protected public land.
Fire protected areas
In some areas, called fire protected areas, which are within the country area of Victoria and within 1.5km of forests, national park or protected public land, fire restrictions are determined by the Prohibited Period under the Forests Act.
The list of places and dates where the Prohibited Period applies can be found on the Forest Fire Management Victoria website.
Conditions
Conditions will apply if a permit is granted. The applicant agrees to comply with all conditions.
Failure to comply with each and every condition contained in any permit issued is an offence under the law and penalties for non-compliance will apply.
Following the conditions of the permit does not remove the permit holder's legal responsibility for any damage caused by a fire they light. The permit holder may still be liable under civil or criminal law.
Notifications
If you receive a permit, you must notify us when you want to use it. Notifications, as required by the permit conditions, are very important. These notifications are to prevent an unwarranted response by the local Fire Brigade as a result of a Triple Zero call being received. Your permit conditions will tell you who must be notified before you burn.
The Fire Permits Victoria website also allows you to notify authorities when you plan to use your permit.
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Page last updated: Tuesday, 9 June 2026 12:31:07 PM