Make your household bushfire plan

Use the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) discussion guide to help you decide when you will leave your home. If you decide to stay, you must be well prepared.

Leaving early is your safest choice.

You do not have to wait for an official warning in order to leave your home. For example, you might make a plan to stay with a friend or family member on days of extreme fire danger.

Read the NSW RFS Farm Fire Plan for people living on rural properties.

There are some things you should do every year to prepare your home and property for the bushfire season. Planning ahead will help protect you and your property in an emergency.

Find out how to Prepare your home for bushfire season.

You should understand the bushfire alert levels so you know what actions to take if a bushfire is in your area.

Fire danger ratings describe how dangerous a fire could be if one started. Understanding them will help you to determine when to act if your risk of a fire increases.

You can download the NSW RFS bushfire alert levels guide, print a copy and display it in a prominent place in your home.

To find the alert level of a fire in your area:

• download the Hazards Near Me app or
• visit the Rural Fire Service (RFS) website, Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).

Find out about any hazard reduction burns planned for your area.

Learn about the Australian Fire Danger Rating System. 

Keep aware of the conditions in your area during a bushfire.

If you’re concerned about your safety, don’t wait to be told to evacuate. Prepare and leave early. Find out how to prepare for an emergency evacuation. 

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or TTY (106).

Listen to your local ABC radio station for updates and advice.

To find the alert level of a fire in your area, warnings and advice:

• download the Hazards Near Me app or
• visit the Rural Fire Service (RFS) website, Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).

Monitor your local weather warnings:

• Visit the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) NSW warnings website, 
• Download the BOM app
• Follow BOM on X (formerly Twitter). 

Know the Neighbourhood Safer Places in your area. These are places you can go to as a last resort, if you can't safely access other locations in your bushfire plan.

Make sure you plan more than one route to get to a destination. Roads may be closed or too dangerous to drive on in a bushfire.

The Live Traffic NSW website and the Live Traffic app (iOS or Android) provide real-time information about incidents and changes in traffic conditions that may affect your journey.

Download the NSW RFS key information guide.