How To Prepare Your Property And Survive A Bushfire
You need to prepare your property against the threat of bush fires or ember attacks regardless whether your choice to leave early or stay and defend your property.
• If your home is well prepared it is more likely to survive a bush fire or ember attack.
• A well prepared home can be easier for you and firefighters to defend.
• If your home is well prepared it is less likely to put your neighbours’ homes at risk.
• If a fire threatens unexpectedly and you have no choice but to stay and take shelter, a well prepared home will give you more protection.
To give your family and property the best chance of surviving a bushfire, here are some of the precautions you should take:
• Cut back any overhanging trees or shrubs and dispose of cuttings appropriately.
• Check the condition of your roof and replace any damaged or missing tiles.
• Non-combustible fences are the most effective at withstanding the intense heat generated by a bush fire.
• Clean leaves from the roof, gutters and downpipes and fit leaf guard protection.
• Enclose underfloor areas.
• Store wood piles well away from the house and keep them covered.
• Keep grass cut short and do not store garden mulch near the home.
• Make sure the pressure relief valve on LPG cylinders face outwards (so a flame wouldn’t be directed towards the house).
• Ensure you have a hose that is long enough to reach every part of the home.
• Do not store any flammable items near the home, if possible use proper storage designed for flammable products.
• Install metal flywire or solid screens to the outside windows and doors.
• Have a non-combustible doormat.
• Check the condition of external walls, cladding and Seal any gaps that you may have on your external walls, especially on wooden and cladded homes.
• Check all smoke alarms work and any fire extinguishers that you may have are in good working order.
During a bush fire many houses are destroyed as a result of ember attacks. The embers from burning twigs and leaves are carried by the wind and land on or around the house. Ember attacks can affect houses that are not even the direct path of the fire.
You can prevent a fire from occurring by searching for the places where a fire could start and taking precautionary action, these places are typically on the roof, the gutters, on and under the floor, around windows and doors.
You should always maintain an adequate level of home and contents insurance.
Whether you decide to stay and defend, or evacuate when a bushfire threatens, it is recommend that you have a survival kit prepared and some form of fire fighting equipment.
View the Bushfire Store’s full range of Fire Fighting Units and Equipment Here.
Blog Page. How to prepare your property and survive a bushfire.
