Untitled Document

Surviving a Bushfire

How can I make my house and property fire safe?

Ways to make your house and property fire safe include the following:

Keeping grass cut, clearing away fallen leaves and dead undergrowth, tan bark and wood piles near your home;
Planting trees and shrubs away from your home;
Planting a protective shield of trees which don't burn easily around the house to slow the wind, cut down radiant heat and catch flying embers and sparks from a bushfire;
Cleaning leaves out of gutters;
Placing firescreens on windows to prevent the glass from cracking in radiant heat;
Placing weather stripping around the inside of doors and windows;
Making sure that you have access to adequate water supplies, such as: tanks, dams, swimming pools or water reserves;
Installing a sprinkler system around your home; and
Gathering appropriate fire safety equipment such as: ladders, hoses, buckets, mops, portable water pumps, a ladder, rake, a torch, and a knapsack spray to put out small "spot" fires.

Where am I most likely to be safe in a bushfire?

The decision to stay with or to leave your house should be made well before a bushfire reaches your home. If you are well prepared for a bushfire and are physically able to protect your house once the fire has passed, you have a very good chance of surviving by remaining in your home. People who are sick or elderly should leave their homes early before the fire front approaches.

While a house may burn down in the hours after the fire front has passed, it will often survive the passage of the fire front if the area around the house has been cleared. By staying with the house, you may also be able to put out any small fires after the fire front has passed and save your home. Sheltering in your house is safer than being caught in the open in a motor vehicle or on foot.

However, some houses cannot be saved in a bushfire by the occupants alone. This can depend on the house design, position of the house on the land, types of plants close to the house and adequate access to a water supply.

What happens to a house in a bushfire?

If caught in the direct front of a bushfire, a house may catch on fire by sparks and embers lodging themselves in wall vents, on window ledges, under the floor boards, in roof gutters, and on the roof. If not put out soon after they fall, the embers and sparks can start a small fire which will spread to the whole building. Some houses are more likely to burn in a bushfire, for example, houses built on a slope with unprotected area underneath the house.

What can I do to protect my house in a bushfire?

Protect your house by:

shutting all windows and doors to prevent smoke and flames from entering the house;
moving furniture away from the windows to prevent sparks from entering the house through a broken window and catching alight in the furniture, which is often made of material which will burn easily;
filling the bath and buckets with water to provide a water supply in the house for putting out any small fires that may start;
soaking towels and woollen blankets with water to cover your face to protect against smoke inhalation;
placing wet blankets or towels around window and door edges inside the house to stop smoke and embers from entering the house; and
hosing down the side of the house facing the fire and garden area close to the house, to cool the house down and stop it from burning.

Once all of the above have been carried out, stay inside your house while the fire front passes and listen to the radio for fire reports. After the fire passes, wearing your protective clothing, water down the outside of the house, including the roof, and look out for small fires around your house. Continue to look out for small fires many hours after the fire has passed. Burning embers can often lodge themselves inside the roof and under the floor boards, so it is also important to check these areas after the fire has moved on.

What clothing should I wear in a bushfire?

When dressing for a bushfire wear: long trousers, wool or cotton socks, a long-sleeved woollen jumper, sturdy shoes, gloves, goggles, a wide brimmed hat or hard helmet and a scarf to cover your nose and mouth to protect against smoke inhalation.

How do I protect myself in a car if caught in a bushfire?

Protect yourself in a car by:

Keeping the windows wound up;
Switching the headlights on so that other cars can see your car;
Turning off fans and air-conditioning to keep smoke out;
Parking the car on a football ground, golf course or clear roadway where there are no low shrubs or long grass; and
Parking the car behind a solid object like a brick toilet block or a solid brick or concrete bus shelter to protect the car against radiant heat.

While waiting for the bushfire to pass, lie down low on the floor of the car covering yourself with a woollen blanket. It will get very hot inside the car, but if you are under a blanket you will be protected from radiant heat until the fire front has passed. Remember to drink lots of water and eat juicy fruit to stop yourself from dehydrating.