Cape Town Bush Fires: Personal Action Plan

Last week Cape Town was ravaged by fires. Thousands of homes and properties were saved, thanks to the efforts of the joint firefighting teams. Now the surrounding mountains in neighbouring areas are alight. Once a fire starts it can be difficult to control.

Here is a personal action plan for people living/ near dry wilderness areas at risk of fire to protect them and their property when they come under threat of fire. Please read this advice and send it on to those who may benefit. This was from the Volunteer Wildfire Facebook page.

Jason Whiting Advice I've received in the past:

1. Move anything flammable away from windows, 

2. take down curtains and put blinds up; Close all windows; 

3. Gather essential documents, family photos and laptops/PC (leave monitors and keyboards, need to rescue the hard drives); 

4. Switch sprinklers on; 

5. hose down fire side of the property (and especially roof if thatch);

6. prepare for evacuation, load car and park it facing the direction you're going to travel;

7. put pets in vehicles (but leave windows slightly open for fresh air); 

8. do not get in the way of professional, trained firefighters;

9. obey orders from firefighters - if they say evacuate, go.

I was also personally told to put curtains in a bath of water, and ensure gutters were free of dead leaves and hose down the roof of your home.