Bush camping is popular and places like Mount Clay State Forest attract the more active holiday makers such as mountain bike riders, bush walkers, four wheel drivers and those more interested in our native flora and fauna. But travelling into native bushland during January, February and March is not without risk.
The 2014 Mount Clay bushfire burnt 1,600 hectares including part of the Sawpit camping area. Despite having a 26 kilometre perimeter, no injuries were sustained by the fire with the local fire brigade praising residents and holiday makers for remaining alert and moving to safety when the fire broke out.
Victoria is one of the most bushfire prone areas in the world, so take some simple precautions. Check the Fire Danger Rating every day and avoid high risk areas on high fire danger days, keep an eye out for smoke, listen to local radio for emergency warnings and download the FireReady app onto your smart phone to receive warnings of nearby fire activity.