Courtesy of the Government of South Australia and the CFS Country Fire Service
www.cfs.sa.gov.au
What to do during the year:
- Prepare a 'home survival kit´ and/or 'relocation kit´.
- Prepare a checklist of what you need to do before, during and after a bushfire.
- Clean up and manage fine ground fuels.
- Address any long standing problems
- eg:close underfloor space
- seal gaps around house
- purchase and install water tank
- landscape garden etc.
What to do before and during the fire danger season:
- Check water supply and top up if necessary.
- Service fire pump and check at regular intervals.
- Reduce fine ground fuels.
- Clean gutters of any flammable debris.
- Move firewood away from house.
- Practice your 'bushfire action plan´.
- Check your 'home survival kit´ and/or 'evacuation box´.
- Meet with neighbours to discuss your plans
What to do on 'Total Fire Ban´ days:
- Discuss the day´s action with your family and/or neighbours.
- Check fire pump. Run for approximately five minutes and refuel.
- Listen to radio, scanner or keep a regular look out for telltale smoke.
- Water garden early in the morning.
- Wet down any problem areas.
- Keep pets in close proximity.
- Relocate livestock to a safer paddock.
- If you have to leave, close up your home and take your 'evacuation box´ with you.
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Houses as Safe Refuges:
As the fire front approaches your property it is vital that you seek refuge from the radiant heat. Your home or a neighbour´s house may be used as a safe refuge provided:
- You have done all the essential preparatory work throughout the year.
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All persons present have a good understanding of what to expect when the fire front arrives.
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You are vigilant in patrolling for sparks and embers and can observe the behaviour of the fire whilst inside.
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You have identified a room for the elderly, young or other less able bodied people to shelter in while able bodied people patrol the house for sparks and embers. This room should be away from the likely direction of the fire and have at least two exits.
A refuge is not meant to serve as a hiding place but a place of protection from the radiant heat until it is safe to return outside.
Water Tanks:
Avoid elevated water tanks as a safe refuge. Once immersed in water, the body will quickly absorb heat. If the ambient air temperature is in the high thirties and a bushfire raises the temperature of the water a further ten degrees, the water/body temperature will be unsurvivable.
Cellars
Seeking refuge in a cellar or underground garage should not be considered. If you have a purpose built area for fire protection, details about its use should be incorporated into your 'bushfire action plan´. When taking refuge from radiant heat you must continue to patrol for ember attack and observe the behaviour of the bushfire from a suitable point inside your house. This will enable you to move outside onto burnt ground if your house catches alight. It is not possible to do this when hiding in a cellar that has no windows and only one exit.
Swimming Pools:
The use of swimming pools as a safe refuge is also discouraged. A house that has been adequately prepared against ember attack will provide a safer refuge than a pool. Although pools may provide adequate protection to parts of the body below the water line, the most sensitive parts of your body (face, head, lungs) will be exposed to radiant heat, smoke and superheated air.
See Other Important Information:
Planning to Go Early
Bushfire Action Plan - Checklist
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