Fire Prevention

Adelaide Plains Council is within the Mid North Fire Ban District. Bushfire prevention and managing the risks is a community effort.

On this page: Fire Danger Season / Your bushfire plan / Property maintenance / What we do / Other resources

Fire Danger Season

Fire Danger Season dates are declared annually by the SA Country Fire Service (CFS).

During this time, no fires may be lit in the open without a permit. Permits will not be issued prior to 1 March each year. Contact us for details of the rules relating to fires in the open for cooking and comfort purposes.

Heavy penalties apply for lighting or maintaining an unauthorised fire.

Fire danger ratings

Fire danger ratings tell you how dangerous a bushfire would be if it broke out – not the likelihood of a fire starting.

They are published by the SA Country Fire Service between 4:30pm to 5pm daily during fire danger season. To find out the fire danger rating for the Mid North region you can:

• Check the SA Country Fire Service Updates Facebook page
• Check the SA Country Fire Service website
• Listen to or watch your local news weather forecast
• Call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline on 1800 362 361 (TTY 133 677)
• Download the Alert SA app and turn on notifications
• Download the Bureau of Meteorology app and turn on notifications.

Do not rely on a single source for your emergency information.

Restrictions during Fire Danger Season

During Fire Danger Season there are strict controls on the lighting of fires, the use of certain tools, or certain activities.

What can I do and what can’t I do during Fire Danger Season? (CFS)

Your bushfire plan

Take the time to understand the fire danger rating system and update your bushfire plan each year.

Create your bushfire plan (CFS)

Bushfire Safer Places and Last Resort Refuges

Bushfire Safer Places are areas that are designated as a place of relative safety for people to go to on high fire risk days. Last Resort

Refuges are a space you can go to during a bushfire in your area if there is nowhere else to go, but your safety is not guaranteed.

Use the CFS map to find your nearest location.

Bushfire Safer Places (CFS)

Property maintenance for fire prevention

The Fire and Emergency Services Act 2005 requires owners of private land to take reasonable steps to protect property on the land from fire, to prevent or inhibit the outbreak of fire on the land, or the spread of fire through the land and minimise the threat to human life from a fire on the land. To achieve these requirements, we request your support in completing hazard reduction measures:

• If your property is 0.5 hectares (5,000 square metres) or less, reduce the height of all dry flammable material to a maximum height of 10cm by means of slashing, mowing or removing, and maintained throughout the year. This includes both vacant town blocks and house blocks;
• Larger blocks (more than 0.5 hectares or 5,000 square metres) will require a firebreak, slashed or mowed to a maximum height of 10cm, to a minimum width of 20 metres around any dwelling, and a minimum width of 5 metres around other buildings and structures, and property boundaries. This must also be maintained throughout the year; and
• All flammable material must be stored in a safe manner.

Residents can help maintain their verges to reduce the risk of fire. This can include mowing, weeding and general housekeeping. Please contact us directly if you are unsure if your activity requires approval.

Your early consideration and undertaking of fire prevention measures will help protect your family, friends, pets, property and community from the danger of fire.

Have concerns about a property? Let us know.

What we do

To manage risks, we monitor residential and rural areas to ensure private properties are adequately protected from fire, and slash tall grass on land and reserves we care for.

Property inspections and compliance (105F Compliance Notices)

Our Fire Prevention Officers conduct property inspections leading up to and during the fire danger season to ensure that property owners are meeting their responsibilities.

Compliance notices are issued to property owners where risks are identified. Property owners issued with a Compliance Notice are required to comply with the requirements of that notice within 14 days. Failure to comply with a Compliance Notice carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 and an expiation fee of $473.

If you live within the Adelaide Plains Council area and have a fire prevention concern, please contact us to speak to a Fire Prevention Officer.

Burning permits

No fires may be lit in the open during Fire Danger Season without a permit.

General Broadacre Burning Permits will not be issued prior to 1 March during Fire Danger Season. Heavy penalties apply for lighting or maintaining an unauthorised fire.

To light a fire during Fire Danger Season you must apply for a permit. Please make sure it is received by Council at least 2 working days before it is needed. A seasonal burning permit may be issued for more than one day, but you must notify one of our Fire Prevention Officers on the morning of each burn.

Burning Permits are not valid on a Total Fire Ban Day.

Fire Permit application

Vegetation management and slashing

We maintain many kilometres of roadside vegetation and over 50 reserves to help prevent bushfires spreading.

Each year we conduct fuel load reduction slashing and brushcutting of Council areas including reserves, roadsides within townships and populated areas, and road intersections.

Areas we slash include:

• Council reserves
• All roadsides within townships and populated areas (Two Wells, Lewiston, Port Gawler, Lower Light, Dublin, Windsor, Wild Horse Plains, Long Plains and Mallala)
• Intersections on Category 1 to Category 6 roads

Areas are prioritised according to the Flinders Mid North Yorke Bushfire Management Committee’s Bushfire Management Area Plan.

Slashing schedule

Note: Seasonal conditions will affect the times set out in the slashing schedule and are approximate only. Repeat slashing is undertaken as required.

Other resources

Last updated 9 September 2025