Across Australia there are a number of fire districts facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger ratings in this ongoing heatwave.

In Victoria, the Wimmera, Northern Country and North Central districts have been assigned a catastrophic rating, while the rest of the state has been assigned an extreme rating. South Australia has nine districts with a forecast of extreme.

Australia’s fire danger ratings are designed to provide a clear, consistent warning system for communities.

There are four ratings that communicate to the public how dangerous a fire would be if one started, rather than how likely it is to occur. These ratings guide the actions that community members should take before and during a “bad” fire day.

The warnings

How are they decided?

Fire danger ratings are calculated by state and territory fire agencies. They consider factors such as:

All of these factors can play a significant role in determining the type of fire behaviour that could occur if one breaks........

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