Fire bans

Current fire activity

• A Total Fire Ban (TFB) is declared on days when fires are likely to threaten lives and property due to predicted extreme fire weather or when there are already widespread fires and firefighting resources are stretched.

  The City enters a prohibited burning period from 1 December to 31 March annually. 

  When a TFB is declared, the general public must not:

  • light a fire including a campfire, smoker, fire pit, or use wood-fuelled cooking appliances including pizza ovens.
  • burn garden refuse (grass clippings, leaves, small twigs) or rubbish.
  • drive a motor vehicle off-road over paddocks or bushland or over any land which contains vegetation.
  • conduct hot work (welding or grinding) in an area that is not fully enclosed by a building or structure.
  • mow the lawn, use a slasher or whipper snipper operated by an internal combustion engine.

  You could be fined up to $25,000 or jailed for 12 months or both if you breach a TFB.

  Different rules apply for business, industry, public authorities and agriculture.

  If specific regulatory conditions are met, exempt industries can conduct certain activities during a TFB including:

  • hot work (welding and grinding).
  • road work (grading and bituminising).
  • driving off-road over vegetation.
  • mowing lawns, reserves, ovals and verges.
  • outdoor catering at festivals and events.

  Check if there’s a TFB in place today by:

  • visiting the Emergency WA websiteopens in a new windowopens in a new window 
  • following the Department of Fire and Emergency Services on Facebookopens in a new windowopens in a new window.
  • looking out for the City's roadside Fire Danger Rating signs.

  Learn more about TFBs at the Department of Fire and Emergency Servicesopens in a new windowopens in a new window website.

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• A Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban (HVMB) is imposed to restrict activities that are likely to cause a bushfire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire when the expected weather conditions indicate that if a wildfire was to start, it would be dangerous, destructive and difficult to stop once started.

  A Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban will be declared by the City's Chief Bushfire Control Officer usually in the late afternoon on the day before. We will publish this information on our website and Facebookopens in a new windowopens in a new windowopens in a new windowopens in a new windowopens in a new window.

  Activities NOT PERMITTED during a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban:

  • harvesting operations
  • any “hot works” (e.g. welding, grinding, cutting, heating, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, combustible engines etc.) in the “open air” are not permitted.
  • use or operation of any engine, vehicle, plant, equipment or machinery in the area likely to cause a bushfire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire.

  The responsibility remains on the individual to ensure that any activity undertaken is not likely to start a fire and that a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban is currently not in place in their local government area.

• Owners/occupiers of rural properties in the City of Rockingham can opt in to a free text messaging service to receive information about Total Fire Bans, Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans and Permits to Burn.

  The SMS service will assist residents living on rural properties to stay informed about fire prevention notifications affecting the Rockingham community.

  To sign up for the SMS alert service, please email customer@rockingham.wa.gov.au with subject title ‘SMS Alert Service Request’ and the following information:

  • full name
  • property address
  • mobile number

  This service will not broadcast information on current emergencies.

  For information, alerts and warnings on current and developing emergencies visit Emergency WA.