Fire Danger Ratings

The New Approach

A new bushfire advice and warnings system has been implemented in South Australia for this fire danger season.

The new system, which has been agreed nationally, will help you to decide what actions you need to take depending on the predicted fire danger

The previous Fire Danger Ratings framework was capped at 100 however we have seen extreme fire conditions and behaviour that exceed existing measures.

The new fire danger ratings scale will include 'Severe', 'Extreme' and 'Catastrophic (Code Red)' indicating that the Fire Danger Index exceeds 100.

Fire Danger Ratings

Fire Danger Rating	Recommended Action and Potential Fire Behaviour and Impact
CATASTROPHIC FDI 100+	ACTION: For your survival, leaving early is the best option. Fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving. Flames will be higher than roof tops. Thousands of embers will be blown around. Spot fires will move quickly and come from many directions, up to 20 km ahead of the fire. There is a very high likelihood that people in the path of the fire will die or be injured. Thousands of homes and businesses will be destroyed. House construction standards do not go beyond a Fire Danger Index of 100. Well prepared, constructed and actively defended homes may not be safe during a fire. Do not expect a fire truck.
EXTREME FDI 75 - 99	ACTION: Leaving early is the safest option for your survival. Fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving. Flames will be higher than roof tops. Thousands of embers will be blown around. Spot fires will move quickly and come from many directions, up to 6 km ahead of the fire. There is a likelihood that people in the path of the fire will die or be injured. Hundreds of homes will be destroyed. Only well prepared, well constructed and actively defended houses are likely to offer safety during a fire. Do not expect a fire truck.
SEVERE FDI 50 - 74	ACTION: Leaving early is the safest option for your survival. Only stay if you and your home are well prepared and you can actively defend it during a fire. Fires will be uncontrollable and move quickly. Flames may be higher then roof tops. Expect embers to be blown around. Spot fires may occur up to 4 km ahead of the fire. There is a chance people may die or be injured. Some homes and businesses will be destroyed. Well prepared and actively defended houses can offer safety during a fire. Do not expect a fire truck.
VERY HIGH FDI 25 - 49	ACTION: Only stay if you and your home are well prepared and you can actively defend it. Fires can be difficult to control. Flames may burn into the tree tops. Expect embers to be blown around. Spot fires may occur up to 2 km ahead of the fire. There is a low chance people may die or be injured. Some homes and businesses may be damaged or destroyed. Well prepared and actively defended houses can offer safety during a fire.
HIGH FDI 12 - 24	ACTION: Know where to get more information and monitor the situation for any changes. Fires can be controlled. Expect embers to be blown ahead of the fire. Spot fires can occur close to the main fire. Loss of life is highly unlikely and damage to property will be limited. Well prepared and actively defended houses can offer safety during a fire.
LOW - MODERATE FDI 0 - 11	ACTION: Know where to get more information and monitor the situation for any changes. Fires can be easily controlled. Little to no risk to life or property.

Download the Fact Sheet.

Bushfire Warnings

Three levels of messaging have also been developed which will deliver clearer information to help you make informed decisions about what actions you need to take to survive a bushfire. They are:

Advice - no immediate threat but messages to keep people informed about low level incidents
Watch and Act - people need to take action to protect themselves, their family and neighbours
Emergency Warning - highest level of risk to life

To read more about these new levels of messages, please click here.

When Emergency Warning messages are played they will continue to be accompanied by the Standard Emergency Warning Signal. (To listen to the Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) click here)

What you need to do now

It is important that you and your family understand these new arrangements so that you can make appropriate safety choices during days of high fire risk and during the event of a bushfire.

You also need to prepare or revise your Bushfire Survival Plan, making sure it reflects what you and your family will do for each of the different ratings and recommended actions i.e. Stay and Defend or Go Early.