Australian Fire Danger Ratings: AFDRS, Fire Weather and What to Do
Australia’s Fire Danger Ratings help answer a simple but important question: if a fire starts today, how dangerous could it become? This guide explains the current national system, the Fire Behaviour Index, Bureau of Meteorology fire weather information, emergency warnings and the actions people should consider before conditions become dangerous.
Focus: Public safety first
System: AFDRS
Fire Danger Ratings describe the potential danger if a fire starts. They are not the same as an emergency warning telling you that a fire is already threatening your area. Do not wait for smoke, flames or an Emergency Warning if your bushfire plan tells you to leave earlier.
This guide has been substantially rebuilt around the current Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS). Older public terminology such as Severe and Code Red has been removed.
It now clearly separates the Fire Danger Rating, Fire Behaviour Index, BOM Fire Weather Warning, Total Fire Ban, Australian Warning System and the new national AusAlert emergency warning channel.
The Australian Fire Danger Rating System
The Australian Fire Danger Rating System was introduced nationally in September 2022. It gives communities across every state and territory the same four public rating levels: Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic.
The higher the rating, the more dangerous the conditions are expected to be if a fire starts. Fire Danger Ratings are forecast for fire weather districts and are available several days ahead, helping households, travellers, land managers, businesses and emergency services plan before conditions deteriorate.
Most fires can generally be controlled, but fires can still start and conditions can change. Know your plan and stay aware.
Fires can become dangerous. Monitor conditions, know your triggers and be ready to put your bushfire plan into action.
Fires can spread quickly and be extremely dangerous. People in bushfire-risk areas should act early and follow their plan.
These are the most dangerous conditions. For your survival, do not remain in a bushfire-risk area.
The Fire Behaviour Index range from 0–11 is shown as No Rating. It does not mean a fire cannot occur. It means conditions generally do not require proactive community action under the national rating system. Normal fire precautions still apply.
Moderate — plan and prepare
Moderate conditions are the time to make sure you are not starting from zero. Know where you will get emergency information, check that your household understands the bushfire plan and think about people, animals, medications, transport and important items that may take time to organise.
High — be ready to act
At High, conditions are becoming more serious. Check local restrictions, monitor weather and emergency information and make sure you know what will trigger your action. Travellers and campers should also check the rating for the districts they will travel through, not only their destination.
Extreme — take action now
Extreme conditions are dangerous. Fires can spread quickly and may become very difficult to control. National guidance calls for action to protect life and property. In Victoria, CFA recommends that people in high fire-risk areas leave the night before or by 10 am on Extreme or Catastrophic days.
Leaving before a fire starts provides more options. Once smoke, fire, fallen trees, traffic or emergency activity affect roads, leaving can become much more dangerous.
Catastrophic — for your survival, leave bushfire-risk areas
Catastrophic is Australia’s highest Fire Danger Rating. If a fire starts and takes hold in these conditions, lives and properties may be at extreme risk. Firefighting resources may not be able to protect every property and conditions may overwhelm even well-prepared homes.
The national message is deliberately direct: for your survival, leave bushfire-risk areas.
Fire Danger Rating versus Fire Behaviour Index
The Fire Danger Rating is the simple public-facing category. The Fire Behaviour Index (FBI) is a numerical index that provides finer detail about expected fire behaviour.
| Fire Behaviour Index | Public rating | Community message |
|---|---|---|
| 0–11 | No Rating | No proactive community action normally required |
| 12–23 | Moderate | Plan and prepare |
| 24–49 | High | Be ready to act |
| 50–99 | Extreme | Take action now to protect life and property |
| 100+ | Catastrophic | For your survival, leave bushfire-risk areas |
BOM explains that the FBI number for a district usually indicates its Fire Danger Rating, although fire agencies can set a different rating when local conditions or other relevant factors need to be considered.
Since late 2025, BOM has also displayed forecast FBI values in district fire-weather forecast tables. This provides more detail for emergency managers, land managers and experienced users while keeping the public rating system simple.
How weather creates dangerous fire conditions
Fire danger is not determined by temperature alone. Weather factors including temperature, humidity, wind and rainfall interact with fuel conditions to influence how a fire may behave.
Hot conditions can contribute to drying vegetation and increasing fire potential.
Dry air can reduce fuel moisture and make fine fuels more receptive to fire.
Wind can increase spread, carry embers ahead of a fire and rapidly alter the direction of danger.
The dryness, type and arrangement of vegetation strongly influence potential fire behaviour.
Wind changes deserve particular attention. A change in wind direction can turn a long flank of a fire into a much wider active fire front. Thunderstorms can also create dangerous conditions through lightning, sudden wind changes and, in extreme cases, fire-generated thunderstorms.
You do not need to become a fire-weather specialist. The important habit is to check the Fire Danger Rating, listen to official advice and act on your plan early.
Fire Weather Warnings, Total Fire Bans and emergency warnings are different
Several systems operate at the same time during fire season. They are related, but they do different jobs.
| Information | What it tells you | Who is involved |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Danger Rating | How dangerous a fire could be if one starts | BOM data and fire agencies |
| Fire Behaviour Index | Numerical indication of potential fire behaviour | BOM and fire agencies |
| Fire Weather Warning | Forecast weather conditions are likely to become dangerous for fire | Bureau of Meteorology |
| Total Fire Ban | Legal restrictions applying to activities that may start fire | Relevant state or territory authority |
| Emergency Warning | An emergency is occurring and action may be required now | Emergency services / authorised agencies |
A Fire Danger Rating does not automatically create a Total Fire Ban. Legal restrictions vary between jurisdictions, so check the relevant state or territory authority before using barbecues, machinery, welders, grinders or other potential ignition sources.
The Australian Warning System
Australia’s nationally consistent warning framework uses three warning levels for emergencies such as bushfire, flood, storm and other hazards:
Always read or listen to the whole warning. The warning level is important, but the specific call to action tells you what authorities want people in the affected area to do.
New for October 2026: AusAlert
The Australian Government states that AusAlert is ready for use from 1 October 2026. It uses cell-broadcast technology to send targeted emergency messages to compatible mobile phones, tablets and some smart watches in an affected area.
AusAlert is different from an ordinary SMS. Messages are broadcast from mobile towers to compatible devices in a defined area. You do not need to download an app or sign up to receive an alert on a compatible device.
AusAlert includes Critical Alerts for the most dangerous life-threatening situations and Priority Alerts for serious situations where conditions are changing and people may need to watch and act.
AusAlert should be treated as another important warning channel — not the only one. Continue to monitor official emergency apps and websites, local radio, television and other authorised information sources.
Where to get reliable fire information
Use more than one reliable source, particularly during major emergencies or when telecommunications may be disrupted.
- Bureau of Meteorology: weather forecasts, Fire Danger Ratings, Fire Behaviour Index information and Fire Weather Warnings.
- Your state or territory fire/emergency authority: active incidents, local warnings, restrictions and Total Fire Bans.
- ABC Local Radio: emergency broadcasting and local updates.
- AusAlert: targeted emergency messages to compatible devices where authorities issue them.
- Community networks: useful for local awareness, but verify important claims against official sources before acting on them.
Do not rely only on social media. Old photographs, rumours and warnings from other areas can circulate quickly during major emergencies.
Travelling, camping and working in bushfire country
People often check the weather at home but forget to check the conditions where they are going. Before travelling through bushfire-prone areas, check the Fire Danger Rating for your destination and the districts you will travel through.
- Check Fire Danger Ratings and weather for the whole route.
- Check active incidents and road closures.
- Know where safer towns or locations are along the route.
- Keep your vehicle fuelled and your phone charged.
- Carry drinking water and essential medications.
- On Extreme or Catastrophic days, reconsider travel through high-risk areas.
Do not travel into a bushfire-risk area on a Catastrophic day simply because no fire is currently shown on a map. The rating describes how dangerous conditions could become if a fire starts.
People who may need extra time or assistance
Leaving early is especially important when someone needs additional assistance. Older people, people with disability, people with medical needs, families with babies or young children and households with animals may require significantly more time to move safely.
Decide in advance what Fire Danger Rating, warning or local condition will trigger leaving.
Know who will assist, how they will be contacted and what happens if that person is unavailable.
Choose a safer destination outside the bushfire-risk area and identify a backup.
A simple daily fire-season routine
For households in bushfire-prone areas, awareness can become part of the normal daily routine during fire season.
- Check today’s Fire Danger Rating and weather forecast.
- Check local warnings, incidents and Total Fire Ban information.
- Know your pre-decided trigger for action.
- Make sure phones and essential devices are charged.
- Consider anyone who may need extra time or help.
- Check travel plans and alternative routes.
- On Extreme or Catastrophic days, act early rather than waiting to see what happens.
What firefighters and emergency personnel should keep in mind
Fire Danger Ratings do not predict exactly where a fire will start. They communicate the potential seriousness of fire conditions across a district. Local conditions can still vary substantially within that district.
For operational personnel, the district rating and FBI should therefore be considered alongside local observations, fuel conditions, topography, wind changes, intelligence, crew capability, communications, access and organisational procedures.
The Fire Behaviour Index can provide useful additional resolution beyond the four public categories, but no numerical index replaces situational awareness. Fire behaviour can change quickly with wind, slope, fuel type, spotting and thunderstorm activity.
The public should also understand that during a major event there may not be enough firefighting resources to defend every property. Community safety should not depend on the expectation that a fire truck will arrive when conditions become critical.
Community experience matters — but verify it
Firefighters, volunteers, farmers, residents, community groups and people who have lived through bushfires often hold valuable local knowledge. Their experience can highlight problems that are easy to miss in a general guide — such as difficult road access, local wind effects, communications black spots, animal-management problems or the time it really takes to move vulnerable people.
FireRescue supports learning from those experiences. However, practical stories and community observations should be clearly identified as experience and checked against current official guidance before being presented as safety advice.
Frequently asked questions
No. It describes how dangerous conditions could be if a fire starts.
No. The FBI forms part of the newer AFDRS and uses contemporary fire-behaviour modelling across multiple fuel types. It provides finer numerical information than the four public rating categories.
No. The current public rating levels are Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic.
No. The nationally consistent highest Fire Danger Rating is Catastrophic.
Not necessarily. Fire Danger Ratings and Total Fire Bans are separate. Check the relevant state or territory authority for the restrictions that legally apply in your area.
No. If your bushfire plan or the Fire Danger Rating has already reached your trigger to leave, waiting for an Emergency Warning can leave you with fewer and more dangerous options.
Check official emergency information immediately. If you see an unattended fire or there is an immediate threat to life or property, call Triple Zero (000). Do not assume the absence of a warning means there is no danger.
The key message
Australian Fire Danger Ratings are most useful before an emergency starts.
Moderate: Plan and prepare.
High: Be ready to act.
Extreme: Take action now.
Catastrophic: For your survival, leave bushfire-risk areas.
Know the conditions. Know your plan. Know where you will obtain reliable information. When your trigger to act is reached, act early.
This guide was reviewed against current information from Australian fire, weather and emergency-management authorities. Local restrictions and emergency directions remain jurisdiction-specific.
FireRescue welcomes corrections and practical lessons from firefighters, volunteers, emergency managers, community groups and people who have experienced bushfires. Important claims should be verified before they are incorporated into future updates.
This article provides general educational information. It does not replace instructions from police, fire, emergency-management authorities or other authorised agencies. During an emergency, follow current official warnings and directions. If life or property is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
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About the author and safety review
Ken Walker
Former Station Officer and fire service educator
Former career firefighter with extensive career and volunteer fire service experience.
Qualifications: Associate Diploma of Applied Science in Fire Technology; Institute of Fire Engineers studies.
Author profilehttps://www.firerescue.com.au/about-us/
