Community Fire Refuge & Neighbourhood Safer Places

Neighbourhood Safer Places

Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSPs) and Community Fire Refuges are last resort survival options. These do not replace having a well thought out and practiced survival plan.

Going to a Neighbourhood Safer Place or Community Fire Refuge is only a last resort if your plans have failed.

These are open spaces such as an oval, that have been assessed by CFA as an adequate buffer zone to fire hazards and have also been assessed for potential heat impact. It may provide some limited protection from radiant heat which is the biggest killer in bushfires. It will not protect you from smoke or embers.

We have 19 designated Neighbourhood Safer Places.

Bushfire places of last resort

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Community Fire Refuges

Community Fire Refuges are specially built or modified buildings which can withstand bushfires.

A Community Fire Refuge will only be open if there is a significant fire threatening the local area. It is not a drop in centre on hot days.

Our Community Fire Refuges are school buildings. If it is a school day they can still be used as a refuge for the general community but students and staff have priority.

We have 3 designated Community Fire Refuges:

Community Fire Refuges

Suburb

Facility

Address

East Warburton

Millwarra Primary School. East Warburton Campus

397 Woods Point Road, Warburton East 3799

Ferny Creek

Ferny Creek Primary School

School Road, Ferny Creek 3786

Millgrove

Wesburn/Millgrove CFA Station

Warburton Highway, Millgrove 3799

 

Please remember

  • Going to an Neighbourhood Safer Place or Community Fire Refuge does not guarantee your survival and should only be used when your bushfire plans have failed or cannot be implemented.

  • Travelling when there is a bushfire can be extremely dangerous. Roads may be busy or blocked by trees, it will be hard to see due to smoke, there will be embers and may be spot fires.

  • There is no guarantee that the CFA or any other emergency services will be present.

  • Food and drinks or medical services are not provided at places of last resort.

  • They have limited capacity.

  • There is no provision for animals.

  • Many houses may provide better protection than a Neighbourhood Safer Place

 

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