Find a firewood collection area

Rules and access

The official determination on collection areas and amendments is published in Gazette No G34, 21 August 2025.

Firewood is free but supply is limited; priority access may apply for local residents or communities dependent on firewood. In some areas, collectors may be asked to prove residency.

Learn about rules, penalties, and how to report illegal firewood collection on the Conservation Regulator website.

Safety and sustainability

For your safety and to avoid your car getting bogged, avoid collecting during or after heavy rainfall. Always check for hazards and obey road closures.

Before travelling, check weather conditions, warnings and Fire Danger Ratings on the VicEmergency website or app. Do not enter forests on days of catastrophic fire rating.

Check overhead for dangerous branches when parking and whilst collecting firewood.

Firewood collection is managed to protect forest health, wildlife habitat, and ecosystem sustainability. For more on how firewood collection is regulated in Victoria and the principles of sustainable practices, see the Sustainable firewood management guidelines.

Firewood sources

Firewood comes from natural tree falls, hazard tree treatments, planned burn operations, and storm recovery activities. The amount of firewood available varies by site and season, and most wood is green — it needs 8 to 12 months to dry before burning.

Firewood availability

Availability is not guaranteed. Some areas may open later as more firewood becomes available, while others may close at short notice due to planned burns, recovery works, or increased bushfire risk.

Firewood collection map instructions

To find a firewood collection area in your region, either use the interactive map or search bar below.

• Grey pins indicate the locations of firewood collection areas.
• Clicking a pin turns it teal, highlighting the site that corresponds to the text box on the right.
• Red pins show areas where collection is restricted to local residents only.
• Each text box contains information about vehicle access, closing dates, planned burns, other relevant details, and a link to download a map.
• To print maps, set your printer to A4 or A3 and to 'fit printable area'.
• Firewood collection area maps can be optimised for viewing by downloading the PDF maps onto mobile devices and then using geo-referenced maps on location via the free Avenza Maps Mobile App.

Note: Firewood collection areas will only be visible on the map or in the list below when the firewood collection season is open. The seasons run from 1 September to 30 November and 1 March to 30 June each year.