Australian Fire Danger Rating System

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Australian Fire Danger Rating System

What is the Australian Fire Danger Rating System?

The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) is Australia's national system for forecasting daily bushfire danger levels and expected fire behaviour.  

The AFDRS describes how dangerous a fire would be if it started, rather than the likelihood of a fire starting. This helps communities make informed decisions about their safety.

Check your local fire danger rating using the state and territory fire agency links at the end of this page. You can also visit the AFDRS website to learn more about the system.

Launched on 1 September 2022 following extensive community consultation, the AFDRS replaced the previous system with a simpler, nationally consistent framework backed by science. 

What do the ratings mean?

The AFDRS has 4 rating levels. Each has an easy-to-recognise message to help you take action to protect yourself and others.

  • Moderate (Green): Plan and prepare.
  • High (Yellow): Prepare to act.  
  • Extreme (Orange): Take action now to protect your life and property.
  • Catastrophic (Red): For your survival, leave bush fire risk areas.
Image of the fire danger ratings as a dial. The needle is pointing to 'high'.

The white bar below Moderate indicates No Rating. This applies on days when no proactive community action is required. It does not mean fires cannot happen, but that any fires that start are unlikely to behave in a way that threatens community safety.

How does it work?

The AFDRS combines fire science, weather data and information about local vegetation to assess fire danger across Australia each day:

  • Fire science: The system groups the Australian landscape into 8 fuel types, including forest, grassland, savanna and spinifex, to model fire behaviour.
  • Weather data: The system uses Bureau of Meteorology data, including temperature, humidity, wind speed and fuel dryness.
  • Local information: The system combines local vegetation data with real-time weather information to assess fire danger in different areas.

What funding has the Australian Government provided?

The AFDRS is partly funded by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Funding has supported national implementation and ongoing improvements, including through matched funding from states.

As part of the AFDRS’s development, the Australian Government provided up to $20 million in co-funding to implement the system. An additional $2.3 million was committed to support national implementation in 2022–23.

The AFDRS is also supported by the Bureau of Meteorology.  

In 2026, the Australian Government announced targeted investments valued at approximately $5.77 million to refine the AFDRS. This funding was announced as part of the Disaster Ready Fund Round 4 and a broader bushfire preparedness package.

Where can I learn more about the AFDRS?

The AFDRS has a dedicated website that provides in-depth information and resources about the system.

For fire danger ratings and information relevant to your area, visit your state or territory fire and emergency service agency’s website:

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