Seasonal Maintenance
Fire season planning: start in winter, not the week before
A practical order of work for Central Victoria properties, from the Fire Danger Period dates to the last grass check before summer.
Effective fire-season preparation starts with assessment, approval checks and a plan for ongoing maintenance. Allow time for those steps well before the expected season. Winter can offer planning time, but access and site conditions determine when machinery work can proceed.
Know the dates that matter
CFA declares Fire Danger Period dates by municipality, and dates can change from one season to the next. Check CFA's current fire restrictions for the site's municipality, then read the rules for the proposed activity. A Fire Danger Period and a Total Fire Ban are different: the period sets seasonal restrictions, while a Total Fire Ban applies to specified days and fire districts. Neither replaces vegetation approvals.
Walk the whole property, not just the house paddock
A proper fire walk-around covers more ground than most people expect. Go to the boundary fences and work in. Check: grass length and curing (dry, pale grass carries fire far faster than green growth — Agriculture Victoria and the CFA track curing through the season as part of fire danger ratings), gutters and roof valleys for leaf litter, the gap between tree canopies and the roofline, woodpiles and gas bottles stored close to the house, anything stacked under decks or against sheds, and the condition of your access track for a fire truck. None of this is complicated, but it only works if you actually walk it rather than eyeball it from the verandah.
Do the big jobs first
Assess dense scrub, woody weeds and substantial regrowth early. Check the property planning report and confirm the proposed footprint, retained vegetation and any clearing approvals before scheduling work. Use the property planning lookup and permit checklist to organise those checks. Approval processing, machinery access and weather can affect the available work window.
Then the maintenance work
Grass cutting, brushcutting around sheds and fences, and firebreak maintenance are the jobs that need repeating through the season, not ticking off once. A single slash in September looks tidy but if spring rain keeps growth going, that grass can be back up by December. Allow for follow-up inspections and further work if growth or the required standard calls for it; no fixed number of cuts suits every site.
Separate vegetation work from everything else
A fire prep list usually has non-vegetation items on it too — gutter cleaning, checking hoses and pumps, battery radios, an actual decision about when your household leaves on a bad day. Vegetation contractors handle the vegetation. Don't let a slashing booking become a stand-in for the rest of the plan.
Through summer
Check current fire danger ratings, activity restrictions and actual conditions before mechanical work. Ironbark does not carry out machinery work on Total Fire Ban days; that operating policy is separate from CFA's activity-specific legal rules. A notice deadline does not override restrictions. Reinspect vegetation after rain and maintain the required standard; completion in spring does not demonstrate continuing compliance through summer.
Nothing here, or any clearing, mulching or slashing work, guarantees a property survives a fire or that it's safe to stay and defend. It reduces fuel; it doesn't remove risk.
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