Ararat emergency services have urged landowners to obey the law and get a permit for their farm burn-offs as the region nears its fourth month without substantial rainfall.
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Ararat Rural City is now accepting applications from residents for a Permit to Burn agricultural stubble.
Stubble burning across the Ararat Rural City municipality will start from Monday, March 26.
CFA District 16 Operations Manager Bernie Fradd said people in Ararat Rural City and Northern Grampians and Pyrenees shires would start to see smoke in the air.
“It’s not the end of the fire danger period, so if you haven’t got a permit to burn and you don’t follow conditions stringently, you’re still not allowed to light a fire in the open,” he said.
Northern Grampians Senior Sergeant Brad Bennett said people need to apply through their council for a permit prior to any burning off.
“We’ll be watching that very closely,” he said.
“Apart form the criminal consequences, there is also the risk of property damage and danger to life so we will investigate any burning outside of permits.
“We’ll be working closely with the CFA and any callouts and concerns they have will be investigated.”
A Schedule 13 Permit to Burn electronic application form is now available on the Ararat Rural City website at www.ararat.vic.gov.au/permit-burn-application.
The permit will be processed after payment of the $100 fee, allowing applicants to burn any number of nominated parcels within the Ararat municipality, owned or leased by them.
Initially permits will be issued with Stage 1 Conditions: of three fire units, 6000 litres of water, six adults in attendance and bare earth breaks.
Ararat Rural City has advised that, given the increased volume of stubble, as a result of frost damaged crops, the community needs to be aware of exposure to smoke during the stubble burning period and take appropriate precautions.
Vineyards within five kilometres of the burn to be consulted prior to lighting up to reduce the risk of smoke tainted grapes.