What Forest Fire Management Victoria does

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is the Victorian Government agency responsible for bushfire risk reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery on public land across the state of Victoria, Australia. Operationally housed within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), FFMVic is a cross-agency team comprising staff from DEECA, Parks Victoria, and Melbourne Water, supported by more than 1,000 permanent and seasonal firefighters, 2,000 additional sector staff with fire and emergency roles, and a network of 460+ independent contractors (400 of whom are deployable for bushfire and emergency response). It serves Victorian communities, Traditional Owner groups, partner emergency services agencies, and visitors to public land, delivering its mandate under the Forests Act 1958 and the Code of Practice for Bushfire Management on Public Land 2025.

FFMVic's core service is integrated bushfire risk management on state forests, national parks, and protected public land, delivered through four Fire Management Zones — Asset Protection Zone (burns every 5-7 years), Bushfire Moderation Zone (burns every 8-15 years), Landscape Management Zone, and Prescribed Burning Exclusion Zone. The methodology combines planned burning, non-burn fuel management (mowing, spraying, constructing fuel breaks), and a Strategic Fuel Breaks Program that has delivered approximately 1,500 km of breaks across Victoria (exceeding a 1,447 km target by delivering 1,548 km through June 2023). Supporting digital platforms include Planned Burns Victoria (opt-in burn notification), Fire Permits Victoria (permit applications), VicEmergency (centralized warnings), MapShare (closure mapping), and a Live JFMP Map. Operational programs include the Joint Fuel Management Program with the Country Fire Authority, the Cultural Fire Program supporting Traditional Owner-led cultural burning across all six DEECA regions, and the forthcoming State Forest By-Products Framework (April 2026). Underlying technology inputs comprise Bureau of Meteorology weather data, ecological science and modelling, and over 35 years of accumulated bushfire research evidence.

FFMVic is not a commercial enterprise and generates no fee-based revenue; it is funded entirely through Victorian Government budget allocations, with the most recent major commitment being AUD $362 million over five years (2024) for additional bushfire response and risk reduction resources as part of the forestry industry transition triggered by the end of commercial native timber harvesting. Its go-to-market is community-led and inter-agency: direct public service delivery via seven regional offices (Melbourne HQ plus Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Benalla, Traralgon, Knoxfield), formal partnerships with CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria, co-delivery with Traditional Owner Groups, and public communication through VicEmergency, Planned Burns Victoria, social media, community information sessions, and a dedicated hotline (1800 226 226). The agency's strategic positioning rests on a regulatory mandate, a state-wide operational footprint, multi-decade scientific evidence base, and institutional partnerships that constitute a defensible service monopoly on public-land bushfire management in Victoria.

Name

Forest Fire Management Victoria

Legal name

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) trading as Forest Fire Management Victoria

Website

https://ffm.vic.gov.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is the Victorian Government agency that reduces bushfire risk on Victoria's public land through planned burning, fuel breaks, and emergency response, serving communities, Traditional Owners, and partner agencies CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria across seven regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Fire Management Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Fire Protection (922160)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildfire Fuel Reduction & Prescribed Burning (AFAMAAAF), Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE), Forest Fuels Management (Thinning, Mastication, Prescribed Burning) (AFAMAEAD), Firebreak & Defensible Space Construction (AFAMAEAF)

Keywords

• Bushfire risk management
• Forest fire management
• Planned burning services
• Fuel management programs
• Emergency fire response

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: FFMVic is a government agency funded through Victorian Government budget allocations. In 2024, the Government committed $362 Million over five years to additional bushfire response and risk reduction resources as part of forestry industry transition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FFMVic is Victoria's dedicated frontline forest firefighting agency delivering bushfire risk reduction on public land. It plans and executes planned burning, non-burn fuel management (mowing, spraying, strategic fuel breaks), early detection, and emergency response and recovery operations across state forests, national parks, and protected public land in partnership with CFA, FRV, and Traditional Owner groups.

Product overview

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) operates as Victoria's dedicated forest firefighting agency, delivering an integrated suite of bushfire management services rather than a commercial software product. The core offering is bushfire risk management on public land, delivered through two main approaches: planned burning and non-burn fuel management (including strategic fuel breaks). These services are supported by digital platforms including Planned Burns Victoria (burn notifications), Fire Permits Victoria (permit applications), VicEmergency (emergency warnings), and interactive mapping tools (MapShare, Live JFMP Map). Operational programs include the Joint Fuel Management Program (coordinated with CFA), Strategic Fuel Breaks Program, Cultural Fire Program supporting Traditional Owners, and the State Forest By-Products Framework for debris distribution. The organization also manages storm debris recovery, firewood collection, and maintains the Bushfire History and Incident Records. FFMVic is a cross-agency team comprising staff from DEECA, Parks Victoria, and Melbourne Water.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bushfire Risk Management Services FFMVic's primary service delivering fuel management programs to reduce bushfire risk on public land across Victoria, including planned burning, non-burn fuel management, and strategic fuel breaks.
• Planned Burns Victoria Opt-in notification system for Victorians to receive alerts when planned burns in their area are shortlisted for ignition or actively being carried out.
• Fire Permits Victoria Digital platform allowing Victorians to check permit requirements, apply for fire permits, notify authorities of permit usage, and register burn-offs when fire restrictions are not in place.
• VicEmergency Centralized emergency information and warnings platform providing updates on bushfires, incidents, fire danger ratings, total fire bans, and emergency relief centre information across Victoria.
• Joint Fuel Management Program (JFMP) State-wide three-year program integrating risk-focused bushfire management across public and private land, jointly delivered by FFMVic and CFA, including planned burns and mechanical fuel treatments, supported by the Live JFMP Map.
• Strategic Fuel Breaks Program Program for building and maintaining strategic fuel breaks (up to 40m wide) across Victoria to limit bushfire spread and intensity and provide firefighter access for suppression activities.
• Cultural Fire Program Program supporting Traditional Owners to reintroduce cultural burning across Victoria, with FFMVic and CFA providing tailored support including planning, delivery, and funding through Traditional Owner Grants.
• MapShare Public Access Map Interactive mapping platform showing current road closures, visitor site closures, and walking/mountain bike track closures in state forests, plus seasonal road closures in parks.
• Firewood Collection Program State-wide firewood collection program with two seasonal collection seasons (Autumn and Spring), providing free domestic collection and commercial firewood areas.
• State Forest By-Products Framework Framework (rolling out from April 2026) governing how debris from forest and fire management operations is distributed to communities, timber mills, and firewood suppliers, with revenue directed to Traditional Owners.
• Storm Debris Recovery Program Program for removing hazardous storm debris from public land to reduce bushfire risk, including works in Wombat State Forest, Dandenong Ranges, and Mirboo North.
• Bushfire Management Strategic Assessment Landscape-scale strategic assessment under the EPBC Act covering planned bushfire management activities on public land, conducted jointly with the Australian Government.
• State Forest By-Products Framework Framework (rolling out from April 2026) governing how debris from forest and fire management operations is distributed to communities, timber mills, and firewood suppliers, with revenue directed to Traditional Owners.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021DEECA and Fire Rescue Victoria have formally signed an agreement for fire prevention and suppression activities. The agreement allows personnel from DEECA, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, and VicForests to carry out certain fire suppression activities in the FRV Fire District when operating as part of FFMVic.
• Country Fire Authority (CFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFMVic and CFA commit to work as one sector by sharing resources, vehicles, and other equipment through the Joint Fuel Management Program. CFA staff have developed the program in consultation with local councils and stakeholders. CFA often provides extra people and equipment to assist with planned burns near towns and settlements.
• Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)coreOthersFFMVic is housed within DEECA, which provides departmental support and funding. FFMVic includes staff from DEECA, Parks Victoria, and Melbourne Water working together as Victoria's dedicated forest firefighters.
• Parks VictoriacoreOthersPartner agency contributing staff to the FFMVic team. Works collaboratively on fire management activities in national parks and protected public land.
• Melbourne WatercoreOthersPartner agency contributing staff to the FFMVic team. Collaborates on fire management activities related to water catchments and catchment protection.
• VicForestssecondaryOthersState-owned forestry business whose staff are eligible for the Forest Firefighters Presumptive Rights Compensation Scheme. Staff participate in FFMVic firefighting activities.
• Network of 460+ Independent ContractorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of over 460 independent contractors across Victoria supplies a range of forest and civil contracting services and plays a vital role in the state's bushfire management and emergency response capacity. 400 of these businesses also make themselves available for deployment to respond to bushfire and emergency events.
• Victorian Traditional Owner GroupscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional Owners conduct cultural burning for caring for Country, including promoting revegetation, producing food and game, and maintaining spiritual connection. Cultural Burn Officers are located in all six DEECA regions linking DEECA, CFA and Traditional Owner Groups. The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy guides support for Traditional Owner cultural fire aspirations.
• Local CouncilssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal councils are consulted during development of the Joint Fuel Management Program and provide input on fire operations in their areas.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NSW Rural Fire Service: Largest Australian state-level bushfire management agency, responsible for wildfire prevention, fuel management, and suppression across New South Wales public and rural lands. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and operating environment to FFMVic.
• Tasmania Fire Service: Tasmania's fire management agency handling bushfire prevention, fuel management, and response in highly fire-prone wilderness and forested public land. Similar operating context to FFMVic with comparable fuel management programs.
• Country Fire Authority (CFA): Victoria's primary volunteer-based fire and emergency services agency and FFMVic's Joint Fuel Management Program partner. Operates in the same geography with overlapping prevention, preparedness, and response mandates for rural and urban interface areas.
• South Australian Country Fire Service: South Australia's volunteer-based rural fire service responsible for bushfire management across regional areas. Directly comparable in function to FFMVic with similar bushfire risk profile.
• Queensland Fire and Emergency Services: Queensland's primary fire and emergency agency delivering bushfire prevention, fuel management, and response. Comparable in scale and scope to FFMVic across diverse fire-prone landscapes.
• Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV): Victoria's urban and industrial fire and rescue agency with formal agreement with FFMVic/DEECA for fire prevention and suppression activities in the FRV Fire District. Directly comparable partner agency operating in the same geography.
• Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA): Western Australia's agency managing biodiversity, conservation, and park management with embedded bushfire management responsibilities. Comparable to FFMVic as a state government entity integrating conservation and fire management on public land.

Regional players

• BC Wildfire Service: British Columbia's provincial wildfire management agency, responsible for wildfire suppression, fuel management, and prevention across Crown land. Operates in a similar temperate forest environment with comparable prescribed burn and strategic fuel break programs.
• CAL FIRE: California's state fire agency responsible for wildfire protection across over 31 million acres of state responsibility area. Operates in a comparable Mediterranean-climate, high-severity fire environment with overlapping fuel management and prescribed burn programs.

Others

• Parks Victoria: Victorian Government agency managing parks and reserves that contributes staff to the FFMVic team. Adjacent in function and integrated operationally, though not a direct competitor; useful comparison for conservation-and-fire integrated stewardship models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FFMVic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DEECAVictoria
• Facebookfacebook.com/FFMVic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-fire-management-victoria
• Instagraminstagram.com/deeca_vic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forest Fire Management Victoria