Thornton CFA

10/02/2026

Wednesday 11th Feb:
Total Fire Ban and Extreme Fire Danger Rating
Implement your Fire Plan!

07/02/2026

Be there when it matters most. Volunteer with CFA.

Across Victoria, CFA volunteers are the heart of our communities. They’re neighbours, parents, tradies, students, retirees — and people with holiday houses or weekenders who want to help protect the places they love — ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Volunteering with CFA isn’t just about fighting fires. It’s about:

Protecting lives, homes and local communities

Learning new skills and gaining nationally recognized training

Being part of a close-knit team you can rely on

Making a real difference, close to home

Whether you’re on the front-line, supporting operations, or helping behind the scenes, there’s a role for everyone. No experience needed — just a willingness to help and a commitment to your community.

Your community needs you.
Join Thornton CFA. Be prepared. Be proud.
Thornton needs you

CFA volunteer Charlotte Freemantle has an innovative way to have it all - she studies in Melbourne and turns out in Tatura, getting the best of both worlds. ...

14/12/2025

Devastating news coming out of Bondi this evening. 💔

We are sending our thoughts, strength, love and support to all those injured and grieving. 🕯️

To the NSW Police and Ambulance crews who responded to such a traumatic scene: thank you for your bravery. 💙

The entire emergency services family is thinking of you all, and everyone who has been affected by the tragic events that occurred tonight. 🙏

03/12/2025

Can I do hot works or use heat/flame during the Fire Danger Period? 🔥🛠️🐝

Can I carry out activities like:
•welding, grinding, cutting, soldering, using abrasive cutting discs or gas cutting
•relocating bees using a bee smoker
•extracting honey using heat or flame
•rail maintenance that creates sparks
•heating bitumen

👉 NO, not unless all of the following are in place:
•✅ A fire-resistant shield or guard is in place to stop sparks, hot metal or slag escaping
•✅ The area at least 1.5 metres around the work is clear of anything that can burn or has been wetted down
•✅ You have firefighting water ready to go – either:
•a hose connected to a reliable water supply, or
•a water spray knapsack with at least 9 litres of water
•✅ All offcuts and hot materials are placed into fire-proof containers
•✅ A responsible person stays on site the whole time, with the ability and equipment to put the fire out
•✅ The area is fully checked and the fire completely out before leaving

During the Fire Danger Period, even small sparks can start a serious fire.

03/12/2025

01/12/2025

🔥 Yeah. Nah… Why the “Garden Hose on the Roof” Won’t Save You!

During bad fire weather days, when large bushfires threaten, we often see the same image on the TV news: someone standing on their roof in shorts and a t-shirt, clutching a garden hose while smoke and fire billow behind them. (Sigh)

Besides all the “leave early” messaging—which, at times (especially on Facebook), can feel like banging our heads against a brick wall 😅—we want you to understand why an image like this makes us shake our heads.

You just have to look at the maths. (Note: In the fire services, the "nozzle" at the end of the hose is called a Branch).

💧 THE BATTLE OF THE FLOW RATES

Here is the difference between what you are holding and what we use to fight bushfires:

🟢 Garden Hose: approx. 15–25 L/min (Standard domestic flow)
🔵 CFA Medium Branch: approx. max flow rate. 230 L/min
🟣 CFA Large Branch (38mm): approx. max flow rate. 475 L/min

⚠️ The Reality Gap

The most common tool our crews use to fight bushfires is the 38mm hose and branch off a tanker. Depending on the branch used, this equipment can deliver a max flow rate between 230 and 475 litres of water per minute.

That means the equipment and just one hose line off the back of our trucks can put out roughly 20 times—or more—the amount of water your garden hose can. And we can run multiple hoses! 🚒

🔥 But here is the scary part:

On Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger days, even our 38mm attack lines and larger branches cannot—and will not—stop a wind-driven fire storm once it has taken hold. The spotting, rapid spread, and intense radiant heat are simply overwhelming.

Think about it: if trained firefighters with a fire truck, hoses (likely multiple hoses), and a specialized branch(es) that can spray up to 475 litres of water per minute (max flow) each won't be able to stop or even likely defend against fires like Ash Wednesday or Black Saturday (and often it is too dangerous for us to even try), a garden hose dribbling 20 litres out the end does not stand a chance.

It cannot cool the air, it cannot reach the flames or spot fires, and it offers zero protection from the radiant heat (just like the clothing in this image). In fact, what little water does come out will likely evaporate before it does anything useful.

Spot fires from ember attack can ignite all around you, escape routes are likely to be cut off, and chances are you’ll be trapped—fighting for your life, not to save your home.

🚰 The Other Hidden Danger: Pressure Drop

When fire hits an area with mains water, two things happen: residents instinctively turn on taps and hoses, and fire trucks begin drawing large volumes from the hydrants.

Mains pressure plummets. Your garden hose flow can drop from "weak" to "useless" in seconds—right when the fire front arrives.

🧯 The Bottom Line:

Standing on a roof with a hose isn’t a strategy—it’s taking a butter knife to a gunfight.

🚗💨 Be Smart, Be Alive. Leave early and live on days of Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger.

We also suggest you go back and read some of our earlier posts about planning, preparing, acting and surviving this summer!

30/11/2025

🔥🌡️ Did You Know… Why We’re So Concerned About This Fire Season? 🌡️🔥

We don’t say this lightly — but everything is starting to stack up for what could be a long, hot, and dangerous fire season.

🔥 Early indicators are already here

We are already seeing Fire Danger Ratings rise and vegetation curing across Victoria and southeastern Australia. The Mallee has already experienced Total Fire Bans and Extreme Fire Danger Ratings, and parts of NSW have reached Catastrophic Fire Danger Ratings with multiple ignitions and large fires this week (CFA sent strike teams to assist).

This shows just how quickly fire conditions across the southeast are intensifying and shifting.

Yesterday, AFAC (The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council) released the latest Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook (attached image), showing an increased risk of fire for much of Victoria, including:

• North-central areas including Kinglake, the Yarra Ranges, and parts of Eildon 👈👈 Our Patch!!
• The far south-west
• Northern slopes of the Otways
• Mt Buangor State Park
• Wombat State Forest and the Central Highlands
• Parts of the Mornington Peninsula
• Parts of south-west Gippsland

We have not experienced a combination of early-season indicators like this in many years, suggesting this season may pose significant challenges.

🌧️ Rain hasn’t solved the problem

While we’ve seen some welcome spring rainfall, it hasn’t been enough to make up for long-term rainfall deficits across Victoria.

Soil moisture levels — one of the best indicators of how dry the ground is and how fast vegetation can cure (dry out) — are already worryingly low across much of Victoria. Even with some recent surface rain, the deeper layers of soil haven’t recovered. This underlying dryness is one of the strongest indicators of how quickly vegetation can cure and become available to burn.

☀️ Heat is rapidly establishing

Warmer-than-average temperatures are forecast across the state this summer, meaning:
• Vegetation and forests will dry faster
• Fuel loads will become more available
• The landscape may become ready to burn earlier, with conditions more conducive to fire

Short- and medium-range outlooks continue to show hot, dry, and windy patterns — the kind of conditions that drive dangerous fire behaviour.

⚠️ What all of this means

Put simply: this season is shaping up to be bad.

These indicators — appearing this early — suggest we may face some very challenging and dangerous days ahead. That’s why we are emphasising the importance of planning, preparing, acting and leaving early.

🚒 What to do now

We are urging the community to prepare before conditions escalate further. These forecasts represent a potential worst-case scenario, and we absolutely hope we’re wrong — but this is exactly why the Planning, Preparing, Acting and Surviving message matters.

Here’s what you can do now:
✅ Create or update your Bushfire Survival Plan
🏠 Finish preparing your property now, ahead of hotter weather
🚗 Know when to leave early — it is always the safest option and the only guaranteed way to survive

History and forecasts tell us this could be a long dangerous season, but being ready now will make all the difference later.

Plan. Prepare. Act and Survive this Summer.

🔥

11/11/2025

01/11/2025

23/10/2025

⚠️🚨 Safety Alert: Network Issue Affecting Triple Zero Calls on Some Older Mobile Devices! ⚠️🚨

As part of Telstra’s device testing, today they’ve identified a number of older mobile devices that are not correctly connecting to the Vodafone mobile network to make Triple Zero (000) calls when the primary network is unavailable.

🚫 These devices need to be updated or replaced to ensure they work reliably in an emergency.

📡 Normally, if your primary network isn’t available, your mobile should automatically connect to another available network to place a Triple Zero call if one is available.

➡️ For Telstra customers for example, the primary network is Telstra, and another available network could be Optus or Vodafone.

🔍 After testing, Telstra identified that some older Samsung devices are not connecting correctly to Vodafone when other networks are unavailable.

📞 Telstra immediately notified Samsung and other network operators. Under Australian law, Telstra, Optus & Vodafone must inform impacted customers and block devices that aren’t fixed.

✅ Important:
This issue happens in specific circumstances as described above and does not directly affect your ability to call Triple Zero if you are connected to your primary network. It also doesn’t affect Voice over Wi-Fi Triple Zero calls.

📲 How can this issue be fixed?
🧩 Devices 7+ years old may need replacement.
🔄 Most newer models can be fixed with a software update directly on the device.
📬 Telstra, Optus & Vodafone will contact affected customers by email or SMS with next steps.

🚫 What happens if I don’t act?
Under government emergency call regulations, all mobile operators must block devices that can’t access emergency services.

📅 You’ll have 28-35 days from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone’s notification to update or replace your device. After that, the device will be blocked from all Australian networks. Blocked devices cannot make or receive voice or emergency calls, or send/receive SMS.

👥 Does this issue only impact Telstra customers?
No — this affects several older Samsung models, not just Telstra users, and it isn’t an issue with the Triple Zero system.

📞 Can these devices still call Triple Zero today?
Yes — as long as they’re connected to their primary network, or if that is not available, if the other available carrier (such as Optus) has a stronger signal than Vodafone.

📋 Samsung devices that need to be replaced: ⚠️
Model No. Device Name
🔹 SM-A520F Galaxy A5 2017
🔹SM-A720F Galaxy A7 (2017)
🔹SM-G920I Galaxy S6
🔹SM-G925I Galaxy S6 edge
🔹SM-G928I Galaxy S6 Edge+
🔹SM-G930F Galaxy S7
🔹SM-G935F Galaxy S7 Edge
🔹SM-J120ZN Galaxy J1 2016
🔹SM-J320ZN Galaxy J3 2016
🔹SM-J530Y Galaxy J5 (2017)
🔹SM-N920I Galaxy Note 5

📋 Devices requiring a software update: 🔧
📱 Galaxy A, S, Note, Fold, Flip, and XCover models (various 2016–2021 releases - full list in comments below).

☎️ Need help?
📞 Telstra consumer support: 1800 172 213
🏢 Telstra Small Business support: 1800 870 542
📞 Optus customer service team 133 937
📞 Vodafone customer service team 1300 650 410
📍 Or visit your local Telstra, Optus or Vodafone store

More information is available here:
Telstra: https://www.telstra.com.au/exchange/older-mobile-devices-calling-triple-zero-

Optus: https://www.optus.com.au/about/media-centre/media-releases/2025/10/customer-update-triple-zero-and-samsung-devices

11/08/2025

Free boots. Great mates. Occasional hero moments.

Join CFA and step into something life-changing. ❤️

Click here for more information:
👉 https://go.vic.gov.au/4mx7W9C 👈

15/07/2025

Thornton CFA
Are looking for new members to become active volunteer firefighters.
All training provided.
Once the initial training is done you do what you can do
Family, work and life come first.
Gain new qualifications and skills.