South Australians are being urged to get bushfire ready ahead of the 2025–26 Fire Danger Season, as the SA Government rolls out extra firefighting resources and planning upgrades across the state.
The call comes as the SA Country Fire Service strengthens its bushfire planning, mitigation and frontline response, backed by an additional $955,000 in state funding to strengthen capability over summer. The investment follows the CFS Taskforce Fireguard assessment, which reviewed the seasonal fire danger outlook and identified priority measures to reduce risk and improve response times in high-risk areas.
Five temporary water storage tanks have been installed in Mylor, Salt Creek, Tothill, Cummins and Lucindale, improving access to water for firefighting crews in locations known for elevated bushfire risk. Extra contracted heavy machinery, including bulldozers and graders, will also be placed on standby during high-risk days to support dry firefighting operations and containment efforts when conditions escalate.
At the same time, work is continuing on the Bushfire Safer Places Project, which assesses the suitability of Bushfire Safer Places and Bushfire Last Resort Refuges across South Australia. The project aims to ensure communities have clearly identified locations that offer the best available protection when bushfires threaten.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said South Australians are well aware of the danger bushfires pose during the warmer months, but warned complacency could be deadly. “While we must do all that is possible to reduce the risk of bushfires, we should always be prepared for the worst.”
Emergency Services Minister Rhiannon Pearce said emergency services work tirelessly over summer and urged the community to support those efforts by staying informed.
“Our emergency services do a tremendous job protecting South Australians and their property, particularly over the summer months, and we can do our bit to support these efforts,” she said.
“By downloading the Alert SA app, you can keep yourself, family and friends informed the event of an emergency.”
Alongside immediate summer preparations, the CFS is also modernising its long-term bushfire mitigation and planning through the rollout of the next generation of Bushfire Management Area Plans, known as BMAP 2.0. The project will introduce updated, scientifically informed systems to guide bushfire risk reduction across the state. It is jointly funded through $1.8 million from the National Emergency Management Agency Disaster Ready Fund, plus an additional $2.7 million over four years from the SA Government.
CFS Chief Officer Brett Loughlin said preparing for bushfires is a shared responsibility. “We urge all South Australians to do their part to stay safe this Fire Danger Season,” he said, encouraging residents to review or create a Bushfire Survival Plan, prepare their properties and ensure they are subscribed to official warnings.
As summer approaches, authorities are reminding households that preparation, planning and access to timely information can make a critical difference when bushfires strike.
For more information, visit the CFS website.
