The first Total Fire Ban (TFB) of the 2025/26 fire season has been declared for the Mallee today, 16 October 2025.
Today’s conditions in the Mallee will see temperatures reach the high-30s with winds north to north-westerly before shifting west to south-westerly in the late afternoon, along with the chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening.
This first TFB comes three weeks earlier than last year’s, which was declared on 5 November 2024.
The declaration follows seasonal outlooks indicating an earlier start to Victoria’s fire season, with dry conditions and below-average rainfall across much of the state contributing to an elevated fire risk this spring.
A Total Fire Ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the Total Fire Ban.
Victorians can find out if it is a Total Fire Ban on the CFA website www.cfa.vic.gov.au, where it is usually published by 5pm the day before a Total Fire Ban.
For more information on what you can and can’t do visit the Can I or Can’t I page on the CFA website.
Victorians should also make sure they have access to more than one source of information.
They include:
– River 1467
– The VicEmergency App
– The VicEmergency website www.emergency.vic.gov.au
– The VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
– CFA or VicEmergency Twitter or Facebook
Image – CFA Media
