Echuca CFA is fire danger ready

“Bushfire-wise, never be complacent,” he said.

“Just because we're not built up around a lot of forest areas, it's not to say that it can't happen.

“You just have to look at the fires around Rochester and Nanneella during the code red day. It can happen in open country.”

And the biggest concern this year was the amount of grass and vegetation covering the landscape.

“The fuel load around the area is our biggest worry. You drive around and you can see a lot of high grass,” Mr Moylan said.

“Even crops, depending on where farmers are with harvesting, are part of that risk as well.”

Mr Moylan said while conditions had not fully cured, they were drying quickly and residents should not delay their preparations.

“People should have done it by now. It’s only getting drier,” he said.

“We’re not fully cured yet, but it is getting there. There’s still a lot of green growth underneath, and that’s probably the saver at the moment.

“But a high potential day, winds and the right temperatures, it’s all it takes.”

The warning comes after a relatively quiet fire season last year, although Echuca crews were regularly deployed to support major fires elsewhere across Victoria.

Mr Moylan encouraged residents to review their bushfire plans, clear around properties and understand when they need to leave if conditions become dangerous.

“Have a plan in place,” he said.

“Know when you need to leave. Don’t leave it to the last minute and then clog the roads when we’re trying to get in.

“If you’re going to stay and defend, make sure your property is prepared and you have the resources on hand to do it.”