Acheron CFA

02/09/2026

A CFA survey has found most Victorians living in bushfire-prone areas understand leaving early is the best way to protect themselves and their families during a bushfire, but most would wait too long to act.

CFA’s annual post-season bushfire community survey found 88 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that leaving early was the safest option.

However, 81 per cent indicated they were unlikely to leave until fire was threatening the landscape.

Concerningly, 12 per cent indicated they would stay and defend.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan AFSM said the results showed important bushfire safety messages are reaching communities, but there was still work to do.

“It’s encouraging to see so many Victorians understand that leaving early is the safest way to protect themselves and their family,” Jason said.

“But knowing that leaving early is safest and knowing when to act are two different things. Leaving early means leaving the area before a fire starts, not when you can see flames or smell smoke.

“CFA’s position is clear, do not stay and defend.”

The results also showed 93 per cent of respondents have a bushfire plan, but only 13 per cent have it written down.

“A good plan should cover when you will leave, where you will go and what you will do if your preferred route is no longer safe. Writing it down and placing it somewhere you can see it can make a huge difference during an emergency.”

Expectations of emergency services also remains high, 63 per cent believed they were likely or very likely to receive assistance from fire trucks to defend their property, while 77 per cent expected emergency services to tell them when to leave.

“During a bushfire, we cannot guarantee a fire truck will be at every property,” Jason said.

“Don’t wait for a fire truck or a verbal warning from firefighters to act. Download the Vic Emergency App, set a watch zone, listen to emergency broadcasters and monitor social media and the CFA website for updates.

“With hot and dry conditions expected across much of Victoria this spring, now is the time to prepare.

“The best way to prepare now is to attend a Get Fire Ready event this October, speak with your local brigade, understand your risk and make sure your plan is ready before a fire starts.

"Last year, we saw 537 brigades directly engage more than 40,000 people about fire safety at Get Fire Ready events. This year we’re hoping to increase that number.”

For more information about Get Fire Ready, visit the CFA website.

08/08/2026

02/08/2026

We are already training and preparing for what could be another challenging fire season.

While summer is still a little way off, now is not too early for you to start thinking about the upcoming season either.

Have you started thinking about cleaning up around your property and what will need doing?

Have you got a bushfire survival plan and does it need reviewing before summer hits? Have you discussed your plan with your family?

Now is a good time to start planning what you need to do over the next few months so you too can be ready.

Plan. Prepare. Act and Survive this upcoming summer.

01/08/2026

27/07/2026

Did you get the AusAlert test message? Let us know below! We were waiting for it and it still made us jump! 😂

Edit: Missed todays test alert? See our comment below explaining why this may be the case.

26/07/2026

We’re testing Australia’s new national warning system, AusAlert, across Australia tomorrow as part of the AusAlert national test.

⏰ Set a reminder for 5 minutes before the test time in your location so you are prepared in case you receive it.

The national test will be sent to all compatible mobile devices in Australia, which includes most mobile phones, some smart watches and some tablets. Apple iPads don’t receive AusAlerts.

See the test time in your location below:
🟢 Australian Capital Territory – 2pm AEST
🟡 New South Wales – 2pm AEST
🟢 Queensland – 2pm AEST
🟡 Tasmania – 2pm AEST
🟢 Victoria – 2pm AEST
🟡 Northern Territory – 1.30pm ACST
🟢 South Australia (including Broken Hill, NSW) – 1.30pm ACST
🟡 Western Australia – 12pm AWST
🟢 Christmas Island – 11am CXT.

📱 The test will be a Critical Alert. Your device will vibrate and play a loud siren-like sound for around 10 seconds before stopping, even if it is on ‘silent’ or 'do not disturb'. The message will clearly identify itself as a test and no action is required. If you don’t receive the AusAlert national test, this is fine too, as it’s just a test.

📅 Save this post and set a reminder now so you know when to expect the AusAlert national test in your area.

20/07/2026

Last night brigades from across the area were called to a house fire in Taggerty.

Taggerty Fire Brigade, Alexandra Fire Brigade, Thornton CFA, Buxton C.F.A and Acheron CFA were initially responded with an early call to then make tankers 5 before upgrading to make tankers 10.

Once water supply was secured, these extra tankers were cancelled however many thanks to the extra brigades for responding. Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police and Power Company crews also attended.

Unfortunately, the home was fully alight when the first appliances arrived on scene, and the home was sadly lost. Our hearts go out to the owners. 💔

Breathing apparatus crews and crews from all brigades on scene worked together to get a secure water supply and to extinguish the fire. Crews were on scene for many hours.

Not the outcome anyone wanted but job well done to all crews involved.

🚒🚒🚒

30/06/2026

Were you impacted by the 2026 Longwood Fire? Your voice matters.

By taking just a few minutes to complete our short survey, you can help Emergency Services improve how we protect communities ahead of the 2026/27 Summer Fire Season.

Your valuable feedback helps us understand:
💬 How people respond to emergency warnings.
📢 How clearly those warnings are understood.
👥 What community fire education and support programs are most needed before next fire season.

Have your say:
Simply scan the QR code in the attached image, or click the link below to access the survey.

🔗 https://forms.office.com/r/gh3ZaeXHZk

Together, we can build a safer, better-prepared community.

We would also be incredibly grateful if local brigades and community pages could share this post to help us reach as many impacted residents as possible!

For further information or questions:
Please contact the CFA District 12 Community Safety Team at [email protected].

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. 🙂