Fires can threaten suddenly and without warning.
You need to be prepared to enact your Bushfire Survival Plan without receiving any emergency warning.
You need to:
- know what the bushfire dangers are for your area
- know the daily Fire Danger Rating for your area
- watch for signs of fire, especially smoke and flames
- know what you need to do to act decisively the moment you know there is danger
- put your Bushfire Survival Plan into action (avoid a "wait and see" response).
Do not rely on a single source for emergency warning information.
Information Hotline
We provide information to the community through the Information Hotline on 1800 362 361 (TTY 133 677) including:
- Fire Danger Ratings
- Fire Restrictions
- Fire Bans
- Fire Regulations
- Incidents
- Information relating to Bushfire Survival during bushfires.
Listen to a recorded message about Fire Restrictions or Incidents, or speak to an operator for more information.
We provide incident information as it becomes available from the fire ground.
CFS State Operations Support Brigade volunteers and SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) respond on the Information Hotline when it is operating at CFS Headquarters.
Subscribe for warning emails
We use email to provide information about bushfires and other incidents that CFS is attending.
To make sure you keep getting fast, reliable warnings:
- download the Alert SA app and set up to 10 watch zones tailored for your needs, so you're notified as soon as something happens near you
- follow the CFS on Facebook for regular updates.
If you'd still like to receive email warnings, you can sign up below.
Emergency broadcasters
You can listen to one of our Emergency Broadcast Partners for emergency warnings and alerts:
- ABC is the official Emergency Broadcaster - local ABC radio stations broadcast the emergency warnings and alerts relevant to their area
- FIVEaa Radio
- Sky News Television
- Commercial Radio Australia
Download the full list of our Emergency Broadcast Partners.
We recommend you keep a battery powered or wind-up torch and radio ready in case the power fails during an emergency. Test the batteries regularly. Check whether you have DAB+ digital radio coverage in your area.
Emergency Alert
Emergency Alert is the national telephone warning system used by emergency management agencies.
Emergency services may send you an emergency warning message about fire, flood or extreme weather events to your landline or mobile.
The Emergency Alert service is available across all telephone networks.
You do not need to register for Emergency Alert.
Learn more about this system at emergencyalert.gov.au.
Learn more
NBN in Emergency Events
Your home phone, computer or mobile device connected to the NBN will not work if there is a power failure during an emergency.
You may not be able to call 000 to access emergency services from your home phone or connected devices.
You may not receive an emergency alert warning message.
In planning for emergencies, consider taking the following actions:
- as part of your emergency plan, think about what you will do and what your options may be to get help if you need it
- make sure your mobile phone is fully charged, and have a charged power pack as a back up
- connecting with your neighbours before, during and after an event is important; you may need to rely on each other for help
- consider multiple options to keep informed during emergencies, such as listening to local ABC Radio
- include a battery powered radio in your emergency kit
- purchase basic supplies and fuel your car as banking and electronic purchasing services may not be available during emergencies.