Displays when Total Fire Ban in force
CFA has carried out post-season community surveys in bushfire-prone areas since 2009 (Black Saturday) to understand how people view the bushfire risk and how well prepared they feel.
Many people have a high general awareness of the bushfire risk, but a significant proportion of people underestimate the level of risk at their property.
Over the years the CFA has conducted similar research, and there has been a consistent pattern of results. Although around 80% of people believe it’s likely that a bushfire could occur in their area and around 70% believe there’s a large threat of a bushfire in their area. BUT less than half the people rate the actual level of bushfire risk at their property as major or extreme.
So, why do so many people underestimate the actual level of risk?
People’s risk perception is influenced by a range of social, environmental and situational factors. The concept of risk is highly subjective.
Some people have an unrealistic belief that a bushfire won’t affect them even though they know they live in an area where bushfires can occur. Others who have done all the preparation they need to do for a bushfire often believe the risk is lower.
CFA Chief Officer Euan Ferguson predicts a dangerous fire season. He recently spoke about predictions for the upcoming fire season, and said that the seasonal outlook indicated an active fire season, particularly for areas in central, north and western Victoria. “For us in CFA it’s quite significant. Firstly it reminds us that August has been a very dry month across much of Victoria,” he said.“Rainfall predictions suggest it’s going to be a drier than normal season.”
