THE sounds of summer will convey the important lessons about bushfire safety at a special family-friendly event in Wandi on Saturday, October 17 from 12pm to 5pm.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has partnered with the City of Kwinana to stage the 2026 Bushfire Community Day at Honeywood Oval.

This year’s community day will be in conjunction with the city’s Summer Sounds festival, with emergency services displays, demonstrations and practical bushfire information added to the regular program.

The DFES Bushfire Centre of Excellence (BCoE) has again put together an interactive and educational series of activations that enables the community to brush up on their bushfire knowledge.

BCoE Chief Superintendent Grant Pipe said with summer around the corner it was the right time to spread the message about what actions households and businesses needed to take to prepare for a bushfire.

“Western Australia might be a big state but more than 93 per cent is bushfire prone,” he said.

“Our firefighters do a magnificent job keeping WA safe but the responsibility for preparing for bushfire season needs to be a collaborative effort involving the community.

“The bushfire community day provides attendees with a range of educational products and materials so they can be prepared in case of an emergency.

“There is also some fun for the kids which also carry the bushfire message. They can dress as a firefighter, roll out a fire hose, climb inside a fire truck, all while adults can deal directly with experts on how best to be ready for bushfire season.”

DFES staff and local brigades will showcase fire truck displays, hose demonstrations, brigade activities, Firewise gardening information and the RAC Rescue Helicopter experience.

BCoE launched the inaugural Bushfire Community Day in 2021, opening the DFES Bushfire Centre of Excellence facility in Nambeelup to the public and highlighting the achievements of WA’s bushfire management sector.

Since 2024, the BCoE has staged the event in the City of Kalamunda and the Shire of Mundaring, close to bushfire-prone areas.

Established in 2019, the BCoE is the primary vehicle to share information about bushfire management in WA, strengthening the capability of the sector through the provision of knowledge, training and engagement to reduce the impacts of bushfire.

To find out more about how to prepare for a bushfire, visit dfes.wa.gov.au/hazard-information/bushfire/prepare