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Burning Restrictions & Bans

Lighting fires on your property can be extremely dangerous. Prohibited dates are set according to seasonal conditions and are adjusted when required.

Commencing Saturday 30 April, all Zones in the Shire of Esperance will be in Unrestricted Burning Time.
Landowner/Occupiers are no longer required to obtain a permit to burn from their nearest Fire Control Officer. However, landowner/occupiers are still required to exercise caution and to abide by the following minimum conditions.

Not Sure which Zone you're in? See the Zone Map.

Current Bans

To keep up to date with current bans please check the Shire Facebook Page.

Burning Periods

Burning periods can alter without notice. If you are unsure please contact us to see if you are allowed to burn.

1 November until 31 January.

No fires are to be lit in the open air during this time.

Under powers of the Bush Fires Act 1954, the Prohibited Burning Time for the Urban/Rural zone has been extended (on a fortnightly period) currently ending Tuesday 5 April 2022.

Urban Rural Zone: 19 September to 31 October and 1 February to 30 April (please note the Restricted Burning Time has been extended. Please see details here)

Rural Zone: 19 September to 31 October and 1 February to 15 March

A permit is required to burn during these times. Permit Issuing Contacts can be found here

Rural Zone: 16 March to 1 October

Fires can be lit without a permit.

Prior to burning to check incoming weather conditions.
Please provide notice to your surrounding neighbours
Contact DFES Communication Centre to register their burn Ph: 1800 198 140 (free call).

Harvest Bans

Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans are put in place by the Shire of Esperance under the Bushfires Act 1954. A ban is put in place to restrict activities that are likely to cause or contribute to the spread of a bushfire.

Sometimes only certain zones may be put into a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban. If you are not sure which zone you belong to you can click here to find out.

To find out if a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban is in place:

Contact the Shire during business hours on (08) 9071 0666
Call the Harvest and Vehicle Ban hotline on (08) 9071 5367
Listen to ABC radio
Register for the Shires SMS notification system with the Harvest Ban SMS Notification Form

It is the responsibility of an individual to determine if a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban is in place before carrying out an activity.

Total Fire Bans

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) are responsible for the placing of a Total Fire Ban on any area.

"During a Total Fire Ban you are not allowed to light, maintain or use a fire in the open air, or carry out any activity in the open air that causes, or is likely to cause, a fire."

Information about what a Total Fire Ban means and how it affects you can be found on the DFES website Bushfire Fact Sheet Total Fire Ban. Additional assistance is provided in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions page.

Please follow the links for information on: