More than 30,000 Canberra homes are at heightened risk from bushfires, and forecasts suggest the ACT is in for a "busier than normal" season, Police and Emergency Services Minister Simon Corbell says.
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Mr Corbell said the village of Hall, the new Gungahlin suburb of Forde and suburbs in the south-west of Belconnen around the Pinnacle and Gossan Hill were most at risk.
However, he urged all Canberrans to prepare for the bushfire season as part of a new ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) campaign.
"There are three key messages . . . find out whether you live in a bushfire-prone area; secondly, prepare your bushfire plan . . . and thirdly, prepare your property," he said.
"Make sure you're taking steps to prepare your home: removing flammable material from around your home, clearing your gutters, checking your roofs; and make sure you know what you're going to do should a fire start near your home."
As part of the #CBRBushfireReady campaign, on November 22 and 23, ESA volunteers will visit 1300 vulnerable houses to ensure home owners are aware of the heightened bushfire risk.
"The longer we go away from a fire, the more people become a little bit complacent," Mr Corbell said.
"We've already seen some very unpredictable fire behaviour very early in the season in the Blue Mountains over the past couple of days.
"With a dry, warm, spring well and truly upon us, we face a significantly increased risk."
Mr Corbell said climate change was increasing the bushfire danger for Canberra.
"We know with a warmer and drier climate, the number of severe or catastrophic bushfire danger days will increase; in fact, they're projected to double over the next 20 to 30 years, so we must be ready," he said.
"Being ready through the Canberra bushfire ready campaign is a critical part of that, as well as the ongoing efforts we as a city need to take to mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions and try and ameliorate the impact of a warming climate."
Mr Corbell said emergency services had undertaken "very valuable" grazing, slashing and hazard fuel reduction burning.
"In new suburbs, we plan to provide for buffer zones and protection areas between bushfire-prone areas and the residential interface, but that doesn't mean Canberrans can be complacent," he said.
ESA commissioner Dominic Lane said the new MyFirePlan mobile app made it easier for households to prepare a bushfire survival plan.
He said even residents in suburban areas were at risk.
"Complacency is always a big concern to emergency services," he said.
"A great deal of Canberra is bushfire-prone, that's why everyone has to be ready.
"On a severe, extreme or catastrophic bushfire day, you can utilise that bushfire survival plan to help make those choices [to stay or go] and remove yourself from that risk and your family from that harm."
A map of bushfire-prone areas and the survival plan app are available at esa.act.gov.au.
