The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) declares a Total Fire Ban when necessary to prevent the outbreak or spread of fires.
On Total Fire Ban days you must not light, use or maintain a fire in the open air.
All major media outlets are notified of Total Fire Ban days. Information and updates are published on the ESA website and shared via @ACT_ESA on Twitter and ACT Emergency Services Agency on Facebook.
In the event of a Total Fire Ban being declared in the ACT, access restrictions and closures will apply to many public reserves, pine forests and other areas including:
- Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
- selected roads within Namadgi National Park including Mt Franklin Road (at Piccadilly Circus), Old Mill Rd, Warks Road and Corin Dam Rd at Smokers Gap
- Googong Foreshores
- Kowen Forest including the Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve
- Lower Molonglo River Corridor
- section of the Canberra Centenary Trail from Hall to Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary
- Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary.
Swimming areas at the Cotter and along the Murrumbidgee River, such as Kambah Pool, Pine Island, Point Hut Crossing and Uriarra Crossing, will remain open.
In an effort to accommodate recreational users, the Canberra Nature Park and all pine forest areas (other than Kowen Forest) will remain open to the public during the early morning hours, however, users are advised that they should leave these areas no later than 11am.
Electric barbeques provided at the Cotter, Casuarina Sands, Pine Island, the National Arboretum Canberra and in Canberra's urban parks will be available, however all gas barbeques will be turned off.
There may be instances where camping and recreation areas are closed due to forecasts of extreme fire weather (with or without the declaration of a Total Fire Ban). These closures are made in the interests of public safety.
For more information phone Access Canberra on 13 22 81.