Fire Danger Ratings (FDR) - why have changes been made this year?
The Fire Danger Rating predicts how a bushfire will behave and how difficult it would be to control.
The higher the Rating, the more dangerous it is for the local community.
The changes this year to the Fire Danger Ratings have been made to more accurately reflect the level of risk to the community in South Australia.
The Fire Danger Rating is based on the Fire Danger Index. It is calculated by taking into account the weather conditions as well as the amount, type, and dryness of the vegetation.
The Fire Danger Index is calculated differently for grasslands and forests, as fires behave differently in the different vegetation types - resulting in different amounts of radiant heat, and posing different levels of risk to people living, working or travelling through the affected area.
Since the last Fire Danger Season, the CFS has assessed all fifteen South Australian Fire Ban Districts to determine the dominant vegetation type in each District in order to calculate more accurately the Fire Danger Ratings.
Twelve of the fifteen have been assessed as being predominantly 'grassland' and will now use the Grassland Fire Danger Index trigger points to calculate the Fire Danger Rating. Three have been assessed as predominantly 'forest' and will continue to use Forest Fire Danger Index trigger points to calculate the Fire Danger Rating.
The twelve Fire Ban Districts assessed by the CFS as predominantly 'grassland' and affected by the change are:
| - Adelaide Metropolitan - North East Pastoral - Eastern Eyre Peninsula - North West Pastoral |
- Flinders Ranges - Riverland - Lower Eyre Peninsula - Upper South East |
- Mid-North - West Coast - Murraylands - Yorke Peninsula |
There will be no change in the remaining three Fire Ban Districts: Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island, Lower South East.
What does this change mean for you and your bushfire planning?
The daily Fire Danger Rating is still the best trigger for you to enact your Bushfire Survival Plan. This year the Fire Danger Rating will more accurately reflect the risk in your Fire Ban District. The new Fire Danger Rating table no longer includes the Fire Danger Index numbers. The table and the Fire Danger Rating Fact Sheet, explaining what it means to you, can be found here.
To stay safe, you need to be aware of the daily Fire Danger Rating that applies in your District.
The Fire Danger Ratings will be broadcast daily throughout the Fire Danger Season after 4pm each day.
Fire Danger Ratings will also be posted on the CFS website www.cfs.sa.gov.au on a daily basis.
You can also call the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1300 362 361 (TTY 133 677).
