A DAMP and mild February is proving an unexpected bonus for agencies involved in fire preparations.

ILLEGAL burns have sparked a warning from the Country Fire Authority that the fire danger period is still in force and burn-offs are not permitted unless there is a council permit.

MACEDON and Mt Macedon residents will seek clarification on why a Neighbourhood Safer Place has not been chosen for the townships, as a place of last resort in a fire…

ELABORATE, quirky and hopeful are all words that could describe a new public art piece which will take up residence at the Kyneton Town Hall.

A NEW fire residents group is demanding Macedon Ranges Council broaden its search for a Neighbourhood Safer Place for those in Macedon and Mt Macedon.

VICTORIAN Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority chairwoman Christine Nixon last week had a preview of the Black Saturday bushfire memorial mural wall to be built in Kyneton.

WESTERN Water is boosting fire protection measures at pump stations and water filtration plants in the high-risk fire zones around Macedon, Woodend and Melton.

RESIDENTS in bushfire-risk areas have been advised to activate their fire survival plans, with a total fire ban day declared for most of Victoria.

WOODEND residents fear the lack of action by VicRoads to clean up overgrown vegetation near their properties in time for the bushfire season could put their lives at risk.

GISBORNE’S new Incident Control Centre was first used last Thursday, with CFA’s Region 14 still yet to enter the official Fire Danger Period.

A SEVERE fire danger warning has again been issued for Melbourne, with temperatures predicted to hit 34C.

A SEVERE fire danger warning has issued for Melbourne, with the mercury set to push towards 40C in some outer-suburban areas today.

VICTORIA is set to have its highest fire-risk day since Black Saturday tomorrow.

MACEDON Ranges firefighters got an early taste of what is predicted to be the state’s worst-ever fire season with at least six call-outs last week.

SCHOOLS, kindergartens, and childcare centres across Melbourne have been ordered to shut down on Code Red bushfire danger days.

WHILE the Victorian bushfire season officially began last week, the CFA is reminding residents there is not a declared fire danger period in force in any part of Region 14, which includes the Macedon Ranges.

JERUSALEM: There is nothing ordinary about this United Nations advocacy campaign. The lights dim before a packed audience and a slideshow begins: images of Gaza in conflict, people fleeing their homes, buildings on fire.

Budget airline Jetstar will investigate an engine fault after fuel residue sparked a fire on a flight from Brisbane which forced the emergency evacuation of 173 passengers at a regional airport in New South Wales.

RECORD numbers are expected at the Riddells Creek Bushfire and Emergency Services Expo next month.

A MACEDON woman hopes to harness the collective knowledge of the community on a new website as another fire season looms.