Should You Stay And Defend Against A Bushfire

⚠️ This content is general in nature and informed by guidelines from FPA, CFA Victoria, and the NSW RFS. Please refer to these official sources for the most accurate and current bushfire safety advice.

During a bushfire the survival of you and your family is the highest priority. You can replace buildings and belongings, but you can’t replace lives. When a fire starts, put your Bush Fire Survival Plan into action.

What you should do depends on a number of factors like your personal circumstances, who’s at home and whether your plan is to leave early or stay and defend.

Check out the information below on Leaving Early & Stay and Defend.

Leaving Early

The safest option during a bush fire is always to leave early. You must decide at what point it is time to leave. The point at which you may decide to leave will depend on your own situation.

What triggers this could be a range of things such as a Fire Danger Rating of Catastrophic or Extreme, or a fire in the vicinity of your home. Set your trigger early, well before a fire threatens your safety.

When you leave, you need to make sure you’re going somewhere that is safer. Choose a safe place to go, like a friend’s or relative’s house, or a shopping centre away from bushland that won’t be affected by fire.

Stay and Defend

Ask yourself if you are prepared and capable before you decide to Stay and Defend. If not, you should leave early. Before the fire impacts, you need to start defending your property.

Outside the home

• Ensure you drink plenty of water so you do not dehydrate.
• Block your downpipes, (a sock full of sand/soil will help) and fill your gutters with water.
• Move flammable items such as outdoor furniture, doormats, hanging baskets away from the house.
• Gas cylinders should have the valve facing away from the house.
• Do not stand on your roof with your hose. In bush fires, often more people are injured by falling from roofs than suffering burns.
• Patrol the outside of your home, putting out any embers and spot fires that may start. An ember or spark can reach your home hours before the fire front arrives.
• Just before the fire arrives, wet down timber decks and gardens close to the house.
• Move any firefighting equipment to a place where it will not get burnt.

Inside the home

• Continue to drink water so you do not dehydrate.
• Confine pets to one room.
• Close doors, windows, vents, blinds and curtains to prevent flames, smoke and embers from entering.
• Put tape across the inside of the windows so they stay in place if they break.
• Shut off gas at the meter or bottle.
• Move furniture away from windows to prevent any embers that enter the house from igniting.
• Fill the bath, sinks and buckets with water for putting out any fires that may start inside.
• Place wet towels around window and door edges to stop smoke and embers from entering.

During the fire

When the fire arrives, go inside to protect you from the radiant heat. Ensure you have torches ready as it is likely to become completely dark and you will not be able to see. Shelter in a room that is on the opposite side of the house from the approaching fire – and one that has a clear exit out of the house. Patrol the inside of the home, including the roof space for sparks and embers.

Remember – if your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

After the fire

Once the fire has passed, you may need to patrol your property for hours. Go outside and put out any part of your house which is alight. Check under the house as well as in the roof space.

An ember or spark from a fire can impact on a house many hours after the main fire front has passed and small spot fires can quickly get out of control.

If you are travelling by car

Research shows that staying inside a vehicle during a bushfire is very dangerous, with little chance of survival. It’s slightly safer than being caught in the open. However, having a “leave early” or “stay and defend” plan is much safer.

If you encounter smoke or flames on the road, stop as soon as it’s safe. Turn on your headlights and hazard warning lights immediately.

If you need to shelter in your vehicle, drive to a clear area away from trees. Keep your headlights and hazard lights on. Turn off the ignition, close all windows and vents. Cover yourself with wool or cotton blankets to protect against radiant heat. Stay below window level.

Drink water often and stay in the vehicle until the fire passes.

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.

⚠️ Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended as general guidance only. It is based on publicly available resources and best practices shared by reputable Australian fire authorities, including the Australian Fire Protection Association (AFAC), the Country Fire Authority (CFA – Victoria), and the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS).

We encourage all readers to refer directly to these official organisations for the most up-to-date and detailed bushfire safety information.

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