Bushfire preparedness: Five minutes planning could save your life
Saturday, 31 October 2026
South Australians are being reminded it’s not too late to start preparing their homes and properties for bushfire season, with six more regions entering Fire Danger Season (FDS) tomorrow.
As the SA Country Fire Service (CFS) launches its annual Be Bushfire Ready campaign, Chief Officer Brett Loughlin AFSM said preparing for bushfire season can begin with one easy step - creating a
5 Minute Bushfire Plan.
"With plenty of growth across much of the state, there is a lot of vegetation that can create risks as we head into Fire Danger Season, especially in our farming communities,” Mr Loughlin said.
"Creating a 5 Minute Bushfire Plan is a simple way to get prepared. It helps you understand your options, gather the things you'll need in an emergency, and make important decisions before a fire starts.
"You might never need to use your plan, but if the worst does happen, having one could make all the difference for you and your family."
You can develop a free 5 Minute Bushfire Plan on the CFS website (cfs.sa.gov.au).
Adelaide Hills resident Caitlin Bate has had several close scares and now her family completes a
5 Minute Bushfire Plan annually.
Caitlin said that having a plan provides her family with reassurance that if a bushfire occurs, they are prepared.
“Our plan is to leave early, as defending our house is not an option, and when we know there’s a high-risk fire day, we have a quick chat about what we are going to do,” Ms Bate said.
“Our preparation means we know what we’re going to do, and we can manage the responses of our children.
“I would recommend people creating a 5 Minute Bushfire Plan, it’s very easy to do and provides peace of mind.”
SA Minister for Emergency Services Rhiannon Pearce said South Australians are well aware of the danger bushfires present over summer, but we cannot afford to be complacent.
“Our firefighters do a tremendous job keeping South Australians and their properties safe in an emergency, but we should all support these efforts where we can,” Minister Pearce said.
“By visiting the CFS website and completing a 5 Minute Bushfire Plan, as well as removing fire risks from around your home and downloading the Alert SA app, you can keep yourself and your family safe and help our emergency services.
“By taking the time to plan, we can hopefully have a safe and incident free summer.”
SA Metropolitan Fire Service Chief Officer Jeff Swann said it is not just residents of rural areas who need to prepare their properties ahead of bushfire season.
“South Australia’s urban and peri-urban landscape means many communities live where the suburbs meet bushland, grassland and farmland, and fires in these urban fringe areas can move quickly and affect homes, lives and critical infrastructure,” Mr Swann said.
“Whether you live in a regional town or on the edge of our metropolitan area, taking five minutes to plan now can make a real difference when a bushfire threatens.”
The Fire Danger Season for the Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula will commence on 1 November, joining Eastern Eyre, Flinders, North East Pastoral, North West Pastoral and West Coast districts.
The Lower Eyre Peninsula enters FDS on 15 November, while dates will soon be announced for the state’s remaining Fire Ban Districts, Adelaide Metropolitan, Mount Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island.
