IN THE lead up to ‘curling up next to the fire’ season, the CFA is urging residents to ensure their chimneys are fire-ready.

Firefighters responded to 130 chimney fires in 2021, almost half of which occurred during the winter months.

CFA’s Jason Heffernan said households should have chimneys professionally cleaned annually to avoid the build-up of creosote – a highly flammable, black tar-like residue – which could clog chimneys.

“Creosote is caused by general use but can also build up faster if you are using incorrect fuels such as green wood or treated timbers,” he said.

“Make sure you only burn dry, clean wood to reduce the risk of fire.”

Local chimney sweep, Paul Murphy, also stressed the importance of having a chimney regularly checked and maintained by a professional, noting a visit from a chimney sweep could save households from potential disaster.

“When we go to a house, we inspect the flue for blockages and holes and then we check the glass and door seals,” he said.

“If they’re not right, it burns too fast and burns more wood.”

Mr Murphy said many of the chimneys he had visited had gone years without cleaning.

“If they haven’t been cleaned for years, you can just tell – when the person who owns the place opens the door, the smoke will just bellow straight in their face – the chimney is blocked somewhere,” he said.

“That’s probably the main reason people ring us, because that’s what’s happened.”

Mr Murphy said he covered a 300-kilometre radius around Casterton, cleaning chimneys as far away as Warracknabeal in Victoria’s north-west.

He also said it was easy for households to sign up for their annual visit.

“We have yearly customers on a yearly list,” he said.

“When we go to certain areas, we’ll ring them, and we’ll work our trip around them.”

End of season not an end to danger

LOCALS are also being urged to exercise extreme caution when burning off, even after the end of the Fire Danger Period in the Glenelg Shire.

The shire was the last area to see its Fire Danger Period lifted on Monday, 2 May, but the CFA says it has responded to more than 120 escaped burn-offs across the state since the first Fire Danger Period ended in Victoria on 15 March.

CFA volunteers also attended 35 reignitions from previous burn-offs which were not extinguished properly.

Casterton Fire Brigade Captain, Lee Condon, warned there were still risks associated with burning off.

“It’s still dry enough, a fire can still spread at the moment quite quickly,” he said.

“The FDP lasted a lot longer because it’s still so dry in the scrub and surrounds.”

Mr Condon also noted the laws still in place regarding burning off, especially inside Casterton’s boundaries.

“We’ve had a few complaints of burning inside the town boundary and it’s causing health issues for people who have difficulties breathing,” he said.

“You’re not actually permitted to burn rubbish in the town boundary without getting a permit from the Shire.

“There’s still laws through the Glenelg Shire, there’s still stuff that needs to be followed.”

Locals planning to hold burn-offs were reminded to keep plenty of water on hand to help contain their fires.

Mr Condon stressed the importance of also registering burn-offs with Fire Permits Victoria.

“We’ve had incidents already since the FDP’s been lifted where people have rung in (about) an undefined fire when it’s people only burning off,” he said.

“If that fire had been registered then there wouldn’t have been an issue because when the call gets put in, (fire responders) can look it up straight away.

“And the other advantage (of registering your burn-off) is it notifies everyone else in the area that you are having a burn, as it’ll be logged on the system.” Landowners can register their burn-off using the Fire Permits Victoria website or notifying the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority by phoning 1800 668 511.