Total Fire Ban declared in Tasmania for Friday

The ban will apply until 2am Saturday January 5.

The declaration of a Total Fire Ban means that no fires can be lit in the open.

It applies to all outdoor fires, including incinerators, burn-offs, campfires, fire pots and wood-fuelled barbecues.

The ban covers the following municipalities:

North: Meander Valley, Tamar Valley, Break O'Day, Northen Midlands, George Town, Dorset, Launceston.

South: Brighton, Central Highlands, Clarence, Derwent Valley, Glamorgan-Spring Bay, Glenorchy, Hobart, Huon Valley, Kingborough, Sorell, Southern Midlands, Tasman.

The Tasmania Fire Service said current weather predictions provided by the Bureau of Meteorology indicated Very High into Severe fire danger ratings for several districts in the state for Friday.

TFS Deputy Chief Officer, Bruce Byatt. said conditions were forecast to be windy and dry with temperatures in excess of 35 degrees in some areas.

“Landowners with fires already burning or fires they have recently had on their property are required to make sure they are completely extinguished,” Mr Byatt said.

“Some areas in the Southern and Northern Regions, particularly the South East, Upper Derwent Valley, and East Coast may see temperatures over 30 degrees and wind gusts up to 40 km/h which will push fires rapidly making them dangerous and difficult to control.

"A number of the fires that occurred over the Christmas and New Year period proved very difficult to control.

“For fires that start on Friday with the conditions that are forecast it will be even worse,”

Mr Byatt said it was vital that Tasmanians recognised the risks faced from bushfires, especially on days where the forecast fire danger would make conditions challenging.

"People can assist with these challenges by promptly reporting fires via Triple Zero, preparing their properties, reviewing their bushfire survival plans and keeping up-to-date on changing conditions,” he said.

The TFS, Parks and Wildlife Service and Sustainable Timber Tasmania is already preparing for the high fire danger.

It has organised strategically placed firefighting strike teams and aircraft, incident management teams and extra firefighting resources will be on standby to quickly deal with any fires.

Tasmania Fire Service urges the public to heed the Total Fire Ban in place and to report any fires immediately by calling triple zero (000). Immediate reporting increases the likelihood that the fire can be contained quickly.

More information on Total Fire Bans and incidents can be found at www.fire.tas.gov.au or by listening to ABC Radio.