Surviving Wildfires
Survival and protection of your assets in any walk of life is as much about being proactive in planning and preparation as it is having quick reactions, and the judgement to make the right decisions when the time arises. Working to a plan as a team is more effective than working in isolation.
Watching homes with all their possessions burn to the ground, should be enough to encourage any person living in an area at risk of fire to take precautions, yet not everyone knows how to prepare. Here are a few tips I received from our local wildfire Superintendent when he paid a visit to our property:
1.) Make sure all your important documents and items are stored in one easily accessible, safe place in case you need to leave quickly, ( passports, drivers licence, cards, car keys and any medications you may need, such as asthma pumps).
2.) Ensure you have an evacuation plan, and that you are prepared.
3.) Keep your vehicle in good running order and the tank full.
4.) Ensure the guttering on your house is kept free of leaves
5.) Try to minimise fire risk. (Avoid thatch roofs and lots of dry plant debris/ flammable plants.)
6.) Keep a bundle of rags for filling the roof gutters. In the event of a bush fire soak the rags and fill the gutters with them.
7.) In the event of an approaching fire, remove all curtains and flammable blinds from the windows. Many homes have burnt because the heat from the fire outside has automatically set the curtains within the building alight.
8.) As much as possible spray your roof and property with water.
9.) Unless you have dependents, or are yourself elderly or incapacitated our local advice is to remain on your property and act proactively to protect it from damage for as long as is safely possible. (If you live in a rural area, fire engines may not be able to get there immediately, or may be using resources to fight fires in another area.)
10.) When you evacuate the premises, close all windows and doors.
11.) If evacuating on foot ensure your escape route is feasible and safe.
12.) If evacuating by vehicle DO NOT at any time block the road with your vehicle. In many instances, fire trucks have been unable to attend to burning properties because the access was blocked by vehicles.
13.) Communities need to work together to prepare for fires. Having a snowball system whereby individuals each phone two neighbours to inform them of an approaching fire could save someones life. Having a list of mothers with small children, and elderly people, and a list of neighbours to help could be another solution. Installing an alarm, like an air raid siren could also forewarn people, and give them time to respond.
14.) Forewarned is forearmed. Panic and chaos set in when communities have no clear plan of action; when people are unsure of their role, or how to react to a situation, and when there has been insufficient time to prepare.
Watching homes with all their possessions burn to the ground, should be enough to encourage any person living in an area at risk of fire to take precautions, yet not everyone knows how to prepare. Here are a few tips I received from our local wildfire Superintendent when he paid a visit to our property:
1.) Make sure all your important documents and items are stored in one easily accessible, safe place in case you need to leave quickly, ( passports, drivers licence, cards, car keys and any medications you may need, such as asthma pumps).
2.) Ensure you have an evacuation plan, and that you are prepared.
3.) Keep your vehicle in good running order and the tank full.
4.) Ensure the guttering on your house is kept free of leaves
5.) Try to minimise fire risk. (Avoid thatch roofs and lots of dry plant debris/ flammable plants.)
6.) Keep a bundle of rags for filling the roof gutters. In the event of a bush fire soak the rags and fill the gutters with them.
7.) In the event of an approaching fire, remove all curtains and flammable blinds from the windows. Many homes have burnt because the heat from the fire outside has automatically set the curtains within the building alight.
8.) As much as possible spray your roof and property with water.
9.) Unless you have dependents, or are yourself elderly or incapacitated our local advice is to remain on your property and act proactively to protect it from damage for as long as is safely possible. (If you live in a rural area, fire engines may not be able to get there immediately, or may be using resources to fight fires in another area.)
10.) When you evacuate the premises, close all windows and doors.
11.) If evacuating on foot ensure your escape route is feasible and safe.
12.) If evacuating by vehicle DO NOT at any time block the road with your vehicle. In many instances, fire trucks have been unable to attend to burning properties because the access was blocked by vehicles.
13.) Communities need to work together to prepare for fires. Having a snowball system whereby individuals each phone two neighbours to inform them of an approaching fire could save someones life. Having a list of mothers with small children, and elderly people, and a list of neighbours to help could be another solution. Installing an alarm, like an air raid siren could also forewarn people, and give them time to respond.
14.) Forewarned is forearmed. Panic and chaos set in when communities have no clear plan of action; when people are unsure of their role, or how to react to a situation, and when there has been insufficient time to prepare.
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