Acheron CFA

06/06/2026

We are all setup at the Alexandra Truck Show with our mates from Alexandra Fire Brigade, Ambulance Victoria, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Victoria State Emergency Service! Come say hello! 🚒🚒🚒🙂

06/05/2026

Last weekend Acheron brigade members spent the morning splitting firewood for the Alexandra firewood auction. Thank you to all those that helped out and special thank you to the Dobsons who let a CFA chainsaw course use their land, and then donated all the cut wood. Thanks. 🙂

02/05/2026

Tonight Acheron CFA was paged to a grass and scrub fire to support Thornton CFA along with Alexandra Fire Brigade, Eildon CFA, Buxton C.F.A, Taggerty Fire Brigade, Koriella Fire Brigade, Terip Terip Fire Brigade and Whanregarwen Fire Brigade.

Crews did some amazing work in gusty, windy conditions to pull the fire up quickly. Job well done all. 🚒🚒🚒👌🏻

10/04/2026

With so much cleanup work happening across our region—from fire recovery around Longwood to general seasonal maintenance—many of us are looking to clear piles of fallen or felled trees and leaf litter now that fire restrictions have lifted. While a burn-off is a great way to get on top of the debris, it’s a task that still requires plenty of caution.

Even though we’ve seen some rain across the region recently, it’s easy to get a false sense of security. It doesn't take much—just a bit of sun and a steady breeze—to dry out the top layer of fuel enough for a simple pile burn to become an escaped fire that can quickly threaten property.

If you’re planning to light up, let’s keep things controlled and neighborly with a few simple steps:

📝 1. Register Before You Ignite
This is the big one. When people see smoke, they naturally call 000. If your burn isn't on the system, our local volunteers get paged away from their work and families to investigate what turns out to be a controlled fire.

💻 Register online: firepermits.vic.gov.au
📞 Register by phone: 1800 668 511
🏘️ Check Local Laws: Remember to check with your local council for any specific bylaws or "no burn" days in your area.

🪵 2. Setting Up for Success
💨 Watch the Wind: Wind is the number one cause of escaped burns. If the breeze is picking up or the forecast looks gusty, it’s better to wait for a calmer day.
🚜 Clear a Break: Give yourself a safety net. Clear at least 3 meters of bare earth all the way around your pile to stop the fire from creeping into the surrounding grass.
💧 Have Water Ready: Don't wait until things look "dicey" to find your hose. Have your pump, tank, or knapsack tested and sitting right next to you before you strike the match.

👨‍🚒 3. Stay Until It's Out
Most escapes happen when a fire is left "just for a minute." A fire is only considered supervised if you are physically there with the equipment to put it out. These piles—especially heavy timber—can hold heat deep in the center for days. Once you're done, give it a good stir with a tractor or rake and douse it until it's cool to the touch.

How is the cleanup going on your end? If you have any questions or need a bit of advice on safely managing a burnoff, drop a comment below or you can try reach out to your local CFA brigade.

Stay safe and look out for one another!

07/04/2026

⛽🔥 SAVING A FEW $$$ AT THE PUMP COULD COST YOU YOUR ENTIRE HOME 🛑🏠

We know fuel prices are crazy high, but hoarding multiple jerry cans of petrol in your garage isn't a "life hack." It is an explosive disaster waiting to happen.

As a fire service, we deal with volatile chemicals daily. We are telling you bluntly: your family home or shed is not an approved bulk fuel storage facility. By treating it like one, you are risking your life, your home, your finances, and us. We don't want our crews unknowingly walking into a house that you've turned into a highly explosive trap.

💥 WHAT FUEL DOES TO A FIRE:

Throwing petrol on a small fire causes an instant, violent explosion. Now, imagine a small electrical fire starts in your garage and reaches those plastic jerry cans while you are sleeping, oblivious.

▫️ It primes an invisible explosion: One loose lid or faulty fuel container allows heavy, invisible petrol vapours to pool on the floor, waiting for a single spark. With petrol (unleaded) it is the fumes that are highly flammable, not the liquid.
If you can smell petrol you are in danger of an explosion. Just a small static spark or turning on a light can result in disaster!

▫️ It creates a monster: The fire doesn't spread slowly. The plastic melts, the fuel spills, and it instantly turns your garage into a roaring inferno of huge, unsurvivable heat.

▫️ No time to escape: A normal fire might give you a few minutes to get your family out. Storing large amounts of fuel slams that window shut, swallowing your house in an unstoppable, fast-moving fireball—likely before someone even finishes calling 000.

💸 THE FINANCIAL RUIN: YOUR INSURANCE WILL ABANDON YOU

The Insurance Council of Australia has been crystal clear. As a part of standard policies, you have a duty to disclose anything that materially changes the risk profile of your property to your insurer.

Stockpiling hazardous, highly flammable liquids changes your risk profile.

▫️ Standard policies have strict conditions for storing bulk hazardous materials.

▫️ If your house burns down and investigators find a makeshift fuel depot, your insurance will be voided.

You thought you were maybe saving some cash at the pump. Instead, you lost your million-dollar home and won't get a single cent back.

⚠️ IS THE RISK WORTH THE REWARD? THE COLD HARD TRUTH.

We are back again laying down the blunt truth on this page for a reason. We are the ones that see the aftermath of things like this. We see the people and families whose lives and finances may never recover. We pull people out of the smouldering wreckage when the worst happens. We give you this information so you understand the brutal reality of what you are risking by storing bulk fuel at your home.

Make no mistake: trying to save money by hoarding fuel is a risk that can cost you absolutely everything.

05/04/2026

Sadly, we are not waking up to the Easter morning we had hoped for.

We are incredibly disappointed to report that within the last 48 hours, the Terip Terip CFA Station was broken into and robbed of vital life-saving equipment.

It is deeply disheartening to see this happen to a community that recently faced the devastating Longwood fire and is still working hard to rebuild and recover.

Our volunteers give so much—leaving their own families and properties during those fires, with some even losing their own homes. Waking up to find the station targeted and stripped of the very tools used to keep the community safe is a significant blow to morale today.

Much of the equipment taken was generously gifted to the Terip Brigade by others to help rebuild capacity after the fires. The stolen items include:

▫️ 1x Stihl MS391 FarmBoss chainsaw

▫️ 2x Chainsaws donated by the Yarck recovery hub

▫️ 1x Aussie quickfill pump with Honda motor - Model: QP-205SE/GX160P - Serial number: 1918074 (donated by the Christmas Hills CFA Brigade)

▫️ 1x Davey quickfill pump with Honda motor - Model: G8016-1 - Serial number: 07029 112052 (donated by the Christmas Hills CFA Brigade)

▫️ Jerry cans containing fuel

▫️ 1x Stihl RE108 Presssue Washer

▫️ 2x brand new GME TX6165 UHF handheld radios

▫️ 1x Stanley 2000kva generator

▫️ 1x Honda Brushcutter

▫️ 1x Starlink Mini

▫️ 1x Stihl chainsaw helmet

▫️ 1x Toolbag containing assorted tools

▫️ 1x Large set of boltcutters

This equipment isn't just gear—it is community property used to protect lives and homes. Seeing it taken from the volunteers who rely on it to help others is incredibly frustrating.

We need your help. Please share this post far and wide. If you saw anything suspicious around the Terip Terip fire station over the last 48 hours, or if you see this specific gear popping up for sale online or in the community, please do the right thing.

Contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at https://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/report-a-crime/ with any information.

02/04/2026

20/02/2026

Bushfire Stabilisation Assistance information for private landholders affected by the Longwood-Berrys Lane fire.

Assistance is available for private landowners.

Learn more about the help available and apply for assistance information via the PDF below.

https://go.vic.gov.au/40k84A9

Bushfire Stabilisation Assistance information for private landholders affected by the Longwood-Berrys Lane fire.

Assistance is available for private landowners.

Learn more about the help available and apply for assistance information via the PDF below.
files-em.em.vic.gov.au/public/CommNews/Fact-Sheets/CFA_Landholder_Impact_Assessment_Request_Form_-_Longwood_Berrys_Lane_Feb_2026_FINAL.pdf?v=202602191749

02/02/2026

A community meeting for the Longwood - Berrys Lane fire will be held on:

📆 Thursday 5 February 2026
📍 Yea Town Hall, 27 High St, Yea VIC 3717
🕙 4pm
🔗 This meeting will be livestreamed to the Murrindindi Shire Council page and shared on the VicEmergency - Hume page.

26/01/2026

🏕️ Packing up camp today? The job isn't finished until the fire is cold. Even if the flames are gone, hot coals can smoulder underground for days and reignite when the wind picks up.

Please remember: Burying a fire does NOT extinguish it. It just insulates the heat.

Follow these steps to ensure your campfire doesn't become a bushfire:

💦 Drown it: Pour water on the fire until the hissing stops.

🪵 Stir it: Use a shovel or stick to stir the ashes and break up the coals. This ensures the water reaches the heat at the bottom.

🪣 Drown it again: Apply more water to the stirred area.

✋ Check it: Hold the back of your hand near the ashes to feel for radiating heat.

If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave. Keep pouring and stirring until the ground is cold.

Safe to touch. Safe to leave.