Olinda Fire and Emergency Assembly Area Association wants to set up a safe house ahead of the next fire season.

The group wants the council-owned house to be a temporary last-resort fire shelter. It used to be a refuge and still has outside sprinklers, shutters and other equipment.

At last week's council meeting, the association's president, Mark Howard, said

the group wanted to re-establish Olinda Community House as a neighbourhood safe place.

"We want the council's support to operate a safe house which would be used as a last resort.

"There is no black and white answer or one solution or else it would have been found and done.

"At the moment we don't have the authority to use the building as a safe house so we need a clear view from the council on whether or not we can use it."

Mr Howard said the house was in a good location on Olinda-Monbulk Road and had a swimming pool nearby. "There is not much time for any decision but we appreciate it is not an easy one to make.

"We have worked with Olinda CFA to draft plans on what we would need to do to bring the house up to scratch.

"It could fit 1000 people while any fire passed but the issue is liability and duty of care."

Mr Howard called on the council to consider how any safe house could save lives.

Streeton Ward councillor Noel Cliff said if one life was saved the centre would be worth every cent.

"I am 100per cent behind it as people need somewhere to go if they can't get off the mountain.

"Residents and tourists have to have somewhere to go and the centre only needs a bit of work and an equipment update."