The fire authority's 2020 Bushfire Community Survey found only eight per cent of respondents planned to leave the area on days of high fire risk, with almost half preferring to wait and see before making a decision.
Of those who planned to wait and see, 26 per cent said they would stay and defend their property as much as possible before leaving if the fire became too threatening, while 10 per cent said they would wait for fire or emergency services or police to advise them what to do on the day.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said waiting too long before leaving not only risked their own lives, but those of firefighters too.
“Leaving early is the safest option to protect yourself and your family and it means leaving the area before a fire starts – not when you can see flames or smell smoke,” he said.
“Leaving early means leaving the night before, or early in the morning of, a high-risk fire day. It means it’s easier to make good, rational decisions and avoid panic, becoming trapped and risking serious injury or death.
“Waiting to leave means a drive that normally takes a few minutes could take hours, or you may not be able to get out at all.”
While the seasonal fire outlook predicts grassfires to be more prevalent than the types of bushfires that devastated the state last fire season, Mr Heffernan said hot, dry weather and high winds - conditions likely to bring a high fire danger rating - could see fires spread quickly.
“Households will need different triggers depending on their circumstances, such as whether their property is located near bushland and whether escape routes are limited,” he said.
“However, CFA recommends people in high-risk bushfire settings should leave early on days of fire danger ratings of severe, extreme or code red. On code red days, leaving early is the only safe option.
“Talk to your household, family or neighbours about your bushfire survival plan and check fire danger ratings daily so you know when to leave.
“Fire safety is a shared responsibility and on high fire risk days you cannot expect a fire truck at every house. It's your responsibility to make the best possible decision for your family based on the current fire danger ratings and official warnings for your area.”
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