The report was developed by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, the Bureau of Meteorology and state fire services agencies.
For many forest areas, conditions are currently normal or wetter than normal.
The forecast indicates above-average rainfall during spring, leading to a below-average fire risk for summer across the eastern, north-east, central ranges and Otway ranges.
Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said it only took a few days of extreme weather conditions for the fire risk to rapidly rise.
“Thanks to our year-round approach to bushfire risk management, we’re well prepared for bushfire season, but all visitors to our parks and forests have a role to play to reduce the risk,” he said.
“With a greater number of visitors to our parks and forests, it’s crucial the community work with us to prevent bushfires from starting and pay attention to campfire safety.
“Unattended campfires can spread quickly and have devastating impacts on communities and the environment.”
Mr Hardman said spring was historically a more challenging time of year for large-scale planned burning due to less predictable weather conditions, such as wind, but the higher moisture levels in forest areas could provide opportunities to carry out planned burning this year.
Planned burning works would be supported with an increase in mechanical fuel management including slashing and mulching, as well as creating and maintaining fuel breaks to reduce the bushfire risk for communities and the environment.
To read the full seasonal bushfire outlook, visit: https://www.afac.com.au/
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