mmg.com.au

Country Fire Authority staff will be in Cobram to chat with locals about the must-know information they need to get through this summer.

The Fire Ready meeting will be near the corner of Wondah St and Simms Rd tonight from 7pm onwards. Cobram brigade members will also be in attendance.

The authority’s community education co-ordinator Paul Verbeek said CFA relied on Cobram locals to take responsibility to keep themselves up-to-date on topics such as emergency warnings, what Fire Danger Ratings mean and how to plan what they and their families intend to do this summer.

‘‘If there is a fire then we’ll be out fighting that fire where it has most impact,’’ he said.

‘‘We won’t be taking trucks to individual properties, or making personal calls.’’

Mr Verbeek said people attending the meetings would learn about where fires were most likely to start and spread this year, and the different options available for monitoring fire information.

‘‘Seasonal factors like weather, conditions and fuel loads, as well as advances in technology, mean that each year is different. So even if you’ve attended a meeting in the past it’s still important to go to this one,’’ he said.

‘‘This Wednesday’s session is all about you avoiding that last-minute panic. We have already seen a lot of activity around the Cobram area and this is highly unusual for this time of the year.’’

Residents can ask questions and talk about what further support is available to help them plan and prepare.