Victorians should not wait for a fire truck to turn up, or for a message from emergency services, before fleeing a bushfire, a new fire safety campaign warns.
Research by the Country Fire Association after the 2013-14 bushfire season found 75 per cent of Victorians thought they would be notified when to leave their homes and Premier Daniel Andrews says many were waiting too long to make an important decision.
"Too many Victorians wait until the last minute to flee from danger," Mr Andrews said on Sunday, at the launch of a new public awareness campaign.
"No-one should expect our hard working CFA crews to make door-to-door house calls when they're trying to save lives and fight fires.
"This year's Summer Fire Campaign will send a message loud and clear - 'Don't leave it too late'."
A new television commercial, noting four out of five bushfire deaths occur near a person's home, will air from Sunday and through the 2014-15 summer, highlighting the risk of leaving too late.
There were 4600 bush and grass fires in Victoria last summer and the 2014-15 fire season is expected to be worse.
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