Vegetation

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Building fires start in the same way as bushfires – with small ignitions. These ignitions progress slowly at first, accelerate and progressively involve the whole building. During a bushfire buildings can ignite in three ways; through ember attack, direct flame contact and radiant heat.

The entry of windblown sparks (burning embers) through unprotected openings is the principal cause of building damage during bushfires. These sparks start small fires, often well before the main fire front or many hours after, which develop rapidly and may eventually involve the whole building if left unattended.

Direct flame contact occurs when hazardous vegetation or other flammable material in close proximity to the home ignites causing flames to impinge directly on the exterior of the building.

Radiant Heat

While exposure to radiant heat is the principle cause of loss of life in bushfires, it is not common causes buildings to catch fire. In extreme cases it may ignite timber directly but this only happens when a large quantity of fuel burns close to the building. More importantly, radiant heat can break glass (due to different rates of expansion between the glass and window frame) allowing the entry of sparks and flames into the building. It may also heat up a building making ignition by embers easier.

The attack of a bushfire on a building goes through three stages:

The attack begins when embers, blown ahead of the fire front, reach the building and its surroundings. This ember attack can begin up to an hour or more before the fire front itself arrives.

The second stage occurs when the fire front arrives. Ember attack, radiant heat, flames and smoke are at their maximum. But this only lasts for a few minutes while the fire front passes.

After the fire front has passed, embers continue to be blown from burning tree trunks, outbuilding, fence posts, woodheaps and the like. This final stage may last several hours.

Relocating in Advance

If you don’t feel you could cope or if you have family members who may not be able to fend for themselves in a bushfire, you may choose to relocate to a safe haven early in the day. If the decision is delayed the risk of being caught out in a bushfire increases dramatically.

The Danger of Last Minute Evacuation

Experience throughout Australia has shown lives can be lost when people make a last minute panic stricken attempt to flee a bushfire. Life and property can be saved by able bodied people remaining in their homes, given adequate and timely preparation and planning.

CFS can not guarantee the presence of a fire fighting vehicle and crew to protect every home in a major bushfire. It is therefore extremely important to plan for your family’s safety and be self reliant.

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Making a Decision to Stay or Go

There are a number of complex and personal issues to be considered in your decision. These include:

• Are you physically able to defend your home?

• Are you mentally prepared to face fire?

• Will all of your household be able to cope?

• Are you prepared to stay with your house after the fire has passed?

You must assess your individual situation and decide now to either stay or go. Some contingency planning may be necessary but flexibility should never extend to last minute evacuation.

Planning to Stay

If you plan to stay you must prepare your property to ensure your family, pets and home will survive a bushfire.

Contingency planning is encouraged in case you are absent from your property and are unable to return to defend your home during a bushfire. Care should be taken if you are considering returning home - a decision is difficult to plan in advance and can only be assessed on the day of the fire. Fires can move rapidly, change direction or start ahead of the fire front due to spotting. Personal survival is more important than property so consider the following factors when making your decision:

• Will you have time to get home safely?

• Is access going to be an issue?

• Will you be obstructing the authorities from accessing the fire scene?

Alternatively, if your lifestyle allows it, you may choose to stay home on a Total Fire Ban or high-risk day.

Life and property can be saved by able bodied people remaining in their homes, given adequate and timely preparation and planning.

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eg:close underfloor space

seal gaps around house

purchase and install water tank

landscape garden etc.

 

• 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

• 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.

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.
• All persons present have a good understanding of what to expect when the fire front arrives.
• You are vigilant in patrolling for sparks and embers and can observe the behaviour of the fire whilst inside.
• 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.

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.

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.

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Landscaping refers to the location and maintenance of selected plant species around a building to improve its chance of surviving a bushfire. Correctly managed vegetation can provide many benefits during a bushfire including:

• reducing fire intensity,

• reducing wind speed,

• deflecting and filtering embers, and

• providing shelter from radiant heat.

The following points should be considered when siting vegetation for fire protection:

• mown lawn or grazed green grass is most appropriate immediately surrounding buildings,

• plantings near buildings should use low hazard vegetation. Plant highest hazard vegetation away from buildings or not at all,

• trees and shrubs should not be planted closer to buildings and powerlines than the distance equal to their mature height,

• space trees and shrubs so that there is not a continuous canopy or line of vegetation from bushland to house, and

• locate well watered fruit trees and vegetable gardens on the side of buildings facing the most likely direction of fire.

Maintaining Vegetation

Maintaining a zone of fuel reduced vegetation around a building is a good fire prevention measure. This involves regularly cleaning up and removing flammable plant debris before and during the fire danger season. Consider the following maintenance tasks:

• remove trees or prune limbs which overhang the house,

• break the path of fire from ground to tree canopy by clearing debris and flammable vegetation under trees and shrubs and by pruning lower branches to provide a vertical 2 m fire break,

• remove accumulated debris in trees and shrubs and prune dead limbs,

• retain the moisture content of foliage by watering in the Summer, and

• grow lawn under trees or keep undergrowth slashed.

Selecting Vegetation

All plants will burn but some are more flammable than others. The following list groups of plants according to their relative fire hazard:

A well-designed and maintained windbreak in a rural area will protect buildings from bushfires by:

• reducing wind speed,

• filtering out flying embers, and

• slowing the spread of the fire.

Wind speed: When fire winds hit a windbreak they are slowed down and forced up and over the trees, creating a protected area on the leeward side.

Embers: In a bushfire the greatest risk to any home is not the flames but sparks blown around in the strong winds. Trees may catch many of these sparks before they get to the house. Because green leaves contain water, trees do not usually catch fire from flying embers, although this can happen if there is too much dead material in the trees or on the ground underneath.

Fire spread: Windbreaks slow the wind speed and help slow the spread of fire. They also provide a shield from radiant heat depending on the density of the trees in the windbreak.

Designing Windbreaks: For best results:

• plant multiple rows of trees rather than a single row,

• plant on the sides of the property most likely to be impacted by fire, and

• plant an open windbreak that reduces wind speed without causing turbulence.

• Position your driveway on the side of your house most likely to be impacted by fire.

• If you plan to build a tennis court or pool also position it between your home and the expected fire direction.

• Build a stone wall, earth mound, hedge or covered fence close to your house as a radiant heat shield.

• If you are on a steep slope terrace your garden and plant with fire retardant species.

• Locate woodpiles away from house.

When planning your garden and property for fire protection, it’s important to consider plants as an integral part of your overall fire protection plan. Yet no plant is completely fire-resistant. Some are more flammable than others, but given the right conditions all plants will burn.

Flammability

There are two basic factors to be considered in determining a plant’s flammability: the first is how readily it burns and the second is how it’s form influences the way it burns. ‘Flammability’ then is, or should be, the outcome of these two factors.

1. Plants with broad fleshy leaves and/or high salt content burn less readily than those with fine hard leaves (sclerophyll). Plants with significant amounts of volatile oils, like the eucalypt family (which includes gums and tea trees) should be avoided close to dwellings.

2. The influence of plant form is a lot more subjective: low growing plants and ground covers are better than shrubs; plants with dense foliage are better than those with open airy crowns; plants that don’t retain dead material are better than those that hold up lots of fuel; plants with smooth bark are better than those with stringy or ribbon bark.

Role of Fire Retardant Plants

Fire retardant plants can absorb more of the heat of the approaching bushfire without burning than flammable plants. Fire retardant trees can trap embers and sparks and reduce wind speeds near your house if correctly positioned and maintained. Fire retardant ground covers can be used to slow the travel of a fire through the litter layer and fire retardant shrubs can be used to separate the litter layer from the trees above.

Maintenance

If fire retardant plants are to be grown, a firm commitment must be made to regularly maintain them or they may become a fire hazard. This includes sufficient watering so a high leaf moisture content is maintained, the removal of dead material and regular pruning of lower branches. Water availability is likely to be a problem in drier months when the threat of fire is greatest.

Environmental Weeds

All gardeners should be aware that some plants are not wanted in the bush even if they are valued in the garden. Unfortunately there are many ornamental plants that really take off when they get into the bush. Some do so well they choke out the natives, like blackberries, or become a fire hazard, like gorse. Predicting whether a plant will become an environmental weed is not easy so it’s good practice to consult with your local council or the SA Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs  to determine its suitability for your area. Alternatively you could contact your local Landcare or Bushcare Group (Trees for Life) for information on species that are indigenous to your area. They may even supply plants propagated from seeds collected locally.

• Separate and store flammable items away from non-flammable items.

• Store flammable and toxic chemicals, eg. Fuel, pesticides and fertilisers etc, downwind of other buildings, especially the home.

• Have all sheds well signed to aid firefighters.

• Consider the general tidiness of your farm buildings. Maintain a tidy layout in all workshops and sheds and ensure an adequate water supply is available for firefighting.

Fuel Supplies:

• Store fuel supplies in labelled drums in a well-protected fully enclosed and labelled shed well away from the home area, hay sheds, fodder sheds and machinery sheds.

• For large quantities of flammable fuel consider the use of elevated fuel storage or underground tanks.

• Store chemicals in a separate shed to other flammables, at least 30 metres away from the home with a 4 metre fuel break all around.

• Check relevant legislation to identify restrictions relating to storage of fuel and hazardous chemicals eg:

• Dangerous Substances Act and Regulations, 1979.
• Agricultural Chemicals Act and Regulations, 1955.
• Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act, 1988

1. Are you sure that someone will be home to turn the sprinklers on in the event of a bushfire? If this condition cannot always be met it may be wiser and cheaper to consider placing more emphasis on passive forms of fire protection like vegetation management and spark and ember proofing.

2. Do you have sufficient water to enable a sprinkler system to operate for two to three hours? Reticulated mains water is not always available nor can it be relied upon. During a major fire the increased demand may reduce volume and pressure to many houses. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that an independent water supply of at least 22 000 L, be established.

3. Do you have a means of providing adequate water pressure to operate the system? Like mains water a major fire may also cause the electricity supply to fail and on a day of extreme fire danger the power supply will be turned off. Therefore, it is important not to rely on an electric pump to supply pressure - a back up pump driven by a small petrol or diesel motor is essential.

Purpose of Sprinkler Systems

Based on the above understanding, sprinkler systems may be designed for two purposes:

1. To reduce the impact of radiant heat, direct flame contact and ember attack on the home by supplying a curtain of water that wets down the roof and walls.

2. To reduce fire intensity by wetting down vegetation surrounding the home.

Before designing a sprinkler system for your home it is important to establish what sort of system you require. The following checklist asks some simple questions about the design, construction and condition of your home. If you answer yes to any of the questions your house may benefit from a sprinkler system which reduces the impact of radiant heat, direct flame contact and ember attack by wetting down the roof and walls. If you answered no to most of the questions then a system designed to reduce fire intensity by wetting down vegetation may suffice.

Roof mounted sprinkler systems can be designed to reduce the impact from radiant heat, direct flame contact and ember attack. They are best designed mounted at the gutter line and angled out to provide a mist of water droplets onto the roof and direct an even curtain of water downward over the walls.

Butterfly sprinkler heads or deluge spray systems provide the optimum water coverage. Be aware that some sprinkler heads produce water droplets that are too fine, blowing away or evaporating in strong winds. Other sprinkler heads produce water droplets that are too large or infrequent, providing inadequate protection from radiant heat.

Where possible locate sprinklers over doors and windows as these are the weak points in the wall area and mount sprinklers close enough together to provide an overlap of spray.

For specifications regarding the spacing of sprinklers and their performance consult your distributor.

 

Ground based sprinkler systems can be designed for reducing fire intensity by wetting down vegetation around the home and may even be an extension of your garden watering system.

Butterfly sprinkler heads, deluge spray systems or impact drive sprinklers may all be used for this purpose. Be aware, however, that impact drive sprinklers take a long time to wet down an area. It is recommended, therefore, that impact sprinklers are turned on the night before a bad fire danger day (or very early in the morning) and run for as long as it takes to sufficiently wet down the vegetation surrounding your home. Always keep enough water in reserve in case a fire does eventuate.

Sprinklers can be mounted on metal risers spaced around the building and fed from an underground pipeline, forming a main ring around the home. This system can be mounted at a distance of 10 metres from the house and sprinkler heads can be set 10 metres apart so that 100% overlap of the spray is achieved. If using impact drive sprinklers they should be adjusted to complete a full rotation every 10 to 15 seconds.

 

Installing Sprinklers

When installing roof mounted sprinklers the supply pipes to the sprinklers should be metal and can be set on the roof above the gutters under the eaves or on the fascia under the gutter. The sprinkler heads can then be set on metal risers to get the desired water coverage.

When installing ground based sprinklers all above ground piping including risers to taps and sprinklers should be metal. The ring around the house, however, can be plastic provided it is buried at least 300mm underground.

A hose that can reach right round the house needs be connected to the system. The hose should be a minimum of 19mm in diameter and fitted with an adjustable firefighting nozzle that is capable of withstanding the pump pressure. It should also be independent of the sprinkler system so that water can be conserved and in high-risk areas it should be made of rubber as plastic hose can melt when subjected to extreme heat.

 

Pumps

You will need an appropriate portable pump to provide sufficient water pressure to operate your sprinkler system effectively. For roof mounted systems a 38mm centrifugal pump close coupled to a 5hp (3.7kW) petrol engine should provide sufficient water for up to 10 butterfly sprinklers. For more sprinkler heads or when using deluge spray systems or impact drive sprinklers consult with the manufacturer or distributor to establish what size engine and pump is adequate to pressurise the system.

The pump should be housed in well ventilated shed or small insulated shelter in an easily accessible area on the protected side of the house (ie: on the side least likely to be threatened by fire). Make sure the pump can be operated by all members of the family (a key start ignition system is ideal) and that it is checked weekly during the fire danger season.

When deciding to turn on your sprinkler system allow enough time to wet down the area before the fire reaches your property and keep enough water available to continue operating the systems until well after the fire has passed. If you intend to install the sprinkler system yourself it is recommended that you seek advice from a plumber to ensure optimum performance from your system.

 

• Ensure your dogs and cats are identified and registered with the local council to increase the chance of being reunited if you become separated.
• Get your animals used to travel when young. Take them on regular car journeys so they are comfortable travelling and don’t get carsick.
• Be sure that you can adequately restrain or confine your pet, as it may become frightened and panic in a fire.

• Dogs: check you have collars, leads or a harness and a muzzle if dog is aggressive.
• Cats, rabbits, guinea pigs: use a secure cage or firmly tied pillow case or carry bag.
• Birds, ferrets, mice: also use a secure cage or box with air holes.
• Fish: transport in a wide necked jar with a secure lid and fill with 2/3 water (include a plastic straw to blow air into water now and again).
• Snakes and lizards: use a secure box with small air holes or a firmly tied pillow case or carry bag.
• Frogs: transport in a small tub with 2cm of water in bottom and air holes in lid.

Consider including:

• plastic containers for water,
• small amount of food (dry food is best for dogs and cats),
• medication (such as daily heartworm tablet),
• litter or newspaper, and
• an information list containing your name, address, phone number, pets name, medical history, food requirements and vets phone number.

• If you have to go to work decide whether to take your animals to a safer place before leaving home. Keep in mind that if there is a fire you may not be allowed home for some time.
• If you are home shut your pets inside the house so they are close by. Check your ‘evacuation box’ to ensure you have leads and containers of water ready if you plan to leave in the event of a fire.
• If you do plan to evacuate, leave early while it is still safe to do so. Handle your pets firmly but reassuringly. Restrain dogs and confine other animals in cages or suitable containers. Cover cages with a woollen blanket or wet towel and secure all pets in the car.
• If you are caught in fire while driving stay in the car with doors and windows closed. Cover yourself and your pets with woollen blankets and keep down below the level of the windows

Your options will obviously depend on the size of your property, the number of stock and where your animals are kept. However, the following suggestions may be of some help:

• Identify the safest paddock on your property or neighbouring property. For example, one which:

• contains a water supply,
• has clear access,
• is well grazed with minimum fuel to carry fire, and
• is well fenced.

• Consider fencing the ‘safe’ paddock with steel or concrete posts so it is fireproof.
• If your fencing is electric consider what may happen if the power supply is cut off during a fire.
• Consider having gates in internal property boundaries so stock can be easily moved to other areas without being taken down a road.
• If you are at work during the day, consider moving stock into the ‘safe’ paddock the night before a Total Fire Ban Day.
• If possible thoroughly water the ‘safe’ paddock the night before a Total Fire Ban Day.

The following suggestions are most applicable to horses but may help other types of livestock:

• Hose your animals all over and do not scrape off
• Remove all equipment from your animal – rugs burn, plastic headstalls melt and metal buckles may get hot.
• Move the animals into an open space with the least vegetation.
• DO NOT shut animals into a stable or small yard. Animals will suffer minimal burns if given the maximum space and can cope well on their own if they can move into the open.

Radiant heat is the major cause of death during bushfires. If you put your hand near an open flame, an electric heater or light bulb you can feel the radiant heat it generates. Draw your hand away and the amount of heat you feel on your skin decreases. Put something between your skin and the heat source and again your skin feels immediately cooler. That’s all you need to remember about radiant heat from bushfires – distance and shielding protect you from dangerous exposure.

The danger is real. Radiant heat from the flame front of a bushfire scorches vegetation well in front of its path and kills animals caught in the open. People also die if they do not seek protection. Death is caused by heat stroke, when the body's cooling system fails, leading to heat exhaustion and death.

To Manage Radiant Heat:

• decrease fire intensity by reducing fine fuels around your home prior to the fire danger season,

• move away from the heat source, and

• establish a barrier between the heat source and yourself, for example:

• a solid wall

• another building

• protective clothing

• blankets

• landscaping features such as embankments and terracing etc.

 

The human body operates most efficiently between a narrow range of temperatures. Once it exceeds the uppermost limits, physiological failure begins and this can lead to collapse and death.

Heat stress can be managed by:

• Wearing sensible clothing: clothes of natural fibre that allow air flow and are not too hot.

• Drinking lots of water.

• Sheltering from radiant heat as much as possible, especially when the fire front arrives.

• Avoiding unnecessary exertion.

• Avoiding elevated water tanks. Once immersed in water, the body will quickly absorb heat from the water. 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.

Very hot conditions plus excessive stress and exertion during bushfires will rapidly lead to loss of fluids and subsequent dehydration. In a bushfire situation a person could lose up to 2 litres/hour. Symptoms of dehydration, such as tiredness, irritability, irrational behaviour, loss of coordination, may lead to collapse and in extreme cases death.

Dehydration can be managed by regularly drinking water, about 1 cup every 5 to 10 minutes. It is easier to manage where there is more than one person present so that one can look after the other.

Bushfire events are conducive to accidents because of factors such as poor visibility, high stress and adrenalin levels. This leads to confusion, poor decision making, loss of concentration and tunnel vision.

The risk of physical injuries can be managed by being extra careful. People should be aware of the likelihood of injury whilst carrying out fire protection/suppression activities. Good planning is also important in preventing physical injuries. Good planning leads to confidence, which reduces stress levels. Good planning also means less stressful decisions need to be made on the spot and is conducive to more controlled behaviour.

In a building fire the most common hazard to humans is from smoke and toxic gases. Death often results from oxygen deprivation in the bloodstream, caused by the replacement of oxygen in the hemoglobin by carbon monoxide. While this is a major cause of death in house fires it is uncommon in bushfires. In bushfires smoke contributes indirectly to death by obscuring visibility, irritating the eyes and lungs and causing stress.

Lung injuries can be managed by protecting the lungs from smoke and super heated air. It is important to seek shelter when heat and smoke are most intense. Nose and mouth should be covered with a dust mask, wet towel or scarf etc. A special filter mask for people suffering with respiratory conditions such as asthma should be included in your survival kit.

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If planning to stay and defend your home organise a fire cupboard, box or bag at the beginning of the fire danger season. Pack it with protective clothing for all members of the family and ensure all household members know its location. Even if you are planning to leave you should still prepare a survival kit as part of your contingency planning.

• Gloves – sturdy garden or rigger variety, not rubber or synthetic.

• Sturdy shoes or work boots – with thick leather soles.

• Hat or hard helmet – with a broad rim for protection from sparks and embers.

• Long sleeved shirt and trousers – made from natural fibres to protect skin and body from radiant heat.

• Mask – such as a wet handkerchief or towel for face protection and to filter smoke. Special filter masks are recommended for asthmatics

• Goggles or glasses – to protect eyes from smoke and embers.

Evacuation Box

If planning to go in the event of a fire (or on any high fire risk day) you should take a pre-prepared ‘evacuation box’ with you to your chosen refuge. This box should be prepared well before the start of the fire danger season and stored in an easily accessible place. Both your family and pets need to be considered when preparing your evacuation box, for example:

Family:

• woollen blanket
• container of water
• first aid kit
• photos and videos
• insurance documents
• other documents
• medications etc

• pet food
• dish for water
• leash/cage
• medications
• vets phone number

During the fire danger season it is essential that some vehicle preparation is considered in case you are caught in the passage of a fire whilst travelling. Be sure that your car is in good order:

• Never travel with a faulty exhaust pipe or muffler.
• All vehicles should have a woollen blanket, container of water and a first aid kit.
• Asthmatics may need a special filter mask kept in vehicles.
• Vehicles should have adequate fuel, especially on high fire risk days if you plan to leave.

If you do need to shelter in your car:

• Drive your car into a clear area away from surrounding trees.

• Leave your headlights on.

• Roll up your windows and close off vents.

• Shelter below window level.

• Cover your body with woollen blankets to protect from radiant heat.

• Drink water frequently.

You may need to operate the windscreen wipers and drive back and forth from time to time to dislodge accumulating embers.

It will be a frightening experience but it is safest to remain in the car where there is protection from radiant heat

Generally the easiest and most effective way to extinguish fire is to apply water. Therefore proximity to adequate water storage and its effective distribution is essential. If you are on a reticulated water supply, everyone in the area, including the CFS, will be using the mains water supply causing a severe loss in water pressure. What’s more, on a day of extreme fire danger ETSA will actually turn off the electricity supply which means that once the mains header tanks are empty there will be no mains water at all. This will also affect residents who use an electric pump to obtain water under pressure from tanks or dams.

How much water will you need?

This is a difficult question to answer because some homes have been saved using bucketed water from a small gravity fed tank while others equipped with pools and pumps have been lost. However, the CFS recommends at least 5000 L for firefighting (using a fire pump with hoses etc) or 22000 L if you have installed a sprinkler system.

• Fill your kitchen sink, bath and laundry trough when you first become aware of fire.

• Place 200 L drums and buckets in strategic locations and fill at the beginning of the fire danger season.

• Rubbish bins and stock feed bins can be filled on high fire danger days.

• Your hot water service will always have water. Make sure you know how to access it safely.

• Tanks vary in size from 1000 L to 20000 L and materials include galvanised iron, concrete, fibreglass and polyethylene.

• A 64 mm London round thread (male) tap fitting will enable CFS to tap into your water supply.

• If your house is on mains water you can run it through a storage tank making sure it is always full.

• If you are considering a tank, why not spend a little more on a swimming pool and enjoy its added benefits?

Water Distribution Options

Another form of active protection is the use of metal shutters, which can be pulled down over exposed windows or placed over skylights in the event of a fire.

• Metal shutters provide protection from radiant heat and also prevent windborne debris from shattering glass allowing sparks and embers to enter the building.

• Shutters can be quite expensive so you may consider installing them on the windows facing the most likely direction of fire.

• Security mesh, metal fly wire and security grade ‘tinting’ are also suitable for protecting windows from windborne debris and may provide some protection from radiant heat.

• Be aware that although shutters increase your safety they do impede you from observing the progress of the fire once you have retreated inside your house.

• Ordinary blinds used to shade your windows may be an additional fire hazard as these are often made of flammable material and may actually trap sparks and embers.

All residents living in high-risk areas need to have a pre-prepared checklist of what to do in the event of a bushfire. Include simple things that can be acted upon immediately. To make your checklist easier to follow divide it up into things to do inside and outside the house before, during and after the bushfire has passed.

• Alert family and neighbours.
• Bring pets inside.
• Dress in protective clothing.
• Shut all doors and windows.
• Fill bath, sinks and buckets etc with water.
• Place wet towels in any crevices, such as gaps under doors etc.
• Take curtains down and push furniture away from windows.
• Place ladder in ceiling access ready to inspect ceiling cavity.

• Remove last minute combustibles from around house including flammable blinds, wooden furniture and doormats etc.
• Start pump for fire hose and/or roof sprinklers. *
• Wet down all areas on side of house facing the direction of the fire.
• Dampen window ledges allowing water to penetrate any gaps.
• Plug drains and fill gutters with water.
• Wet down any pre-determined problem areas.
• Patrol for spot fires and extinguish.

* Make sure to manage your water supply well, so that there is

When fire front arrives

• Retreat inside house.
• Bring buckets, hoses, mops etc inside with you.
• Patrol inside for spot fires and extinguish.
• Check ceiling cavity.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Reassure family and pets.

• Return outside when safe to do so.
• Patrol for spot fires and extinguish.
• Continue to patrol for 3-8 hours.
• Let family and neighbours know you’re okay.
• Continue drinking plenty of water.

There will be a shower of sparks and embers as the main fire front approaches. This shower of embers will continue for several hours after the fire has passed. You should also expect strong winds and heavy smoke, which will make it dark and reduce visibility. When the fire front actually arrives it will generally pass within 5 to 15 minutes. During this time the radiant heat may become unbearable. It is therefore essential that you retreat indoors taking with you any firefighting equipment such as hoses and buckets etc that may melt if left outside.

What should you wear?

Shield your skin from radiant heat. Every member of the household should change in to long sleeved shirts, long pants (made from natural fibres) and sturdy leather foot wear at the first warning of fires in the area. After the fire front passes you should also wear a broad rimmed hat, gloves and goggles to protect your eyes from smoke and flying embers. Breathing through a wet towel helps protect you from superheated air.

Remember to drink water frequently, preferably every 10 minutes to prevent dehydration. Your body will be under stress from heat, so fluids must be replenished.

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f you decide to relocate then you must plan as carefully as you would to stay. Consider these points in your plan:

• When will you make your decision?

• Where will you go and when will you leave?

• How will you travel and what will you take?

• What if family members get separated?

• What will you do with your pets?

As with planning to stay contingency planning is encouraged in case you are unable to leave early.

It may be appropriate to go to your chosen refuge on any day on which the bushfire danger is extremely high. If you decide to wait until a bushfire threatens, keep a regular lookout and monitor a radio or scanner. This will ensure you leave well in advance of the arrival of the fire front. Never wait until the last moment.

Find out if there is a designated community refuge nearby. Determine whether it is a building or an open space such as a football field so that you can make preparations to stay there (if it is a football field, for example, you may need protection from the heat and water to drink etc). Alternatively you may wish to shelter with family or friends in a nearby town or even in your well-prepared neighbour’s house. Decide in advance where you will go, and ensure that it is a safe area.

What will you take?

You should take your pre-prepared ‘evacuation box’ for your family and pets.

How will you travel?

Travel by car if possible and if travelling with a neighbour organise it well in advance. Plan the route to your refuge and determine alternative routes in case fire should block your chosen route.

Preparation should also include having adequate fuel, a woollen blanket, container of water, and a first aid kit in the vehicle in case you are caught in the passage of a fire. Asthmatics may need a special filter mask.

Plan what you will do in the event your children are at school or family are away at work. Find out the school policy if bushfire threatens (all schools should have a CFS approved bushfire action plan). Don’t allow panic to drive anyone out in life threatening conditions searching for missing family members or pets.

A situation may arise during a bushfire that makes it difficult or dangerous for you to leave, placing you in a situation where you have to stay. It is imperative therefore that you have a contingency plan to cater for such situations so you can seek refuge accordingly.

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When living in a high fire risk area your first priority will be the safety of your immediate family and protection of your home. However, once you have this in hand you may want to develop survival strategies in conjunction with your neighbours or on behalf of a community group you belong to (such as Scouts, Girl Guides, Rotary, Friends of National Parks, Bushcare, Landcare etc). By working together with your neighbours or group you will be in a better position to prepare for fires, thereby increasing your chances of survival.

Community Strategies

Community strategies may include:

• making plans to care for young children, elderly and disabled people in the street in the event of a fire,
• making plans for your pets and your neighbours’ pets,
• nominating a house in the street most likely to survive a fire for others to shelter in,
• developing phone trees to improve the chance of receiving an early warning if there is a fire in the area,
• organising working bees to reduce fuel hazards,
• improving access between properties,
• becoming familiar with each others fire fighting equipment,
• organising bulk buying of fire fighting equipment,
• developing a neighbourhood resource list,
• being aware of each others ‘bushfire action plans’ and sharing ideas and innovations
• contacting your local CFS brigade to find out about the fire history in your area,
• working together with your local brigade to learn how fires behave and how they destroy homes,
• conducting a street to walk with your local brigade to identify fire hazards,
• producing a map of your area, identifying property owners, local dams and other water supplies and providing a copy to your local brigade,
• checking with the local school to find out what they plan to do in the event of a fire,
• making your property firefighter-friendly – can tankers fit through gates and reach water supplies etc?
• establishing a creche to free up adults to patrol against spark and ember attack
• obtaining a copy of Joan Websters’ “The Complete Australian Bushfire Book” to share amongst your neighbours,
• borrowing videos from CFS and inviting your neighbours to view them with you.

Residents may choose to develop the above strategies in an informal way with just a few close neighbours or they may want to involve the whole street by forming a Community Fire Safe group. Community Fire Safe is a program initiated by the CFS, that encourages residents living in high-risk areas to form small action groups. These groups may consist of just a few families living in the same street or area who face a common bushfire threat.

In these groups people learn how fires behave and how they destroy lives and homes. With this understanding, they are able to develop the best strategies for themselves and their local community – strategies that work because they have community ownership and support.

Groups operate autonomously and focus on their own special needs but they draw on the support of CFS staff and volunteers whenever they need it. The program is flexible, supporting groups that develop in streets as well as existing groups such as Friends of National Parks, Landcare and Neighbourhood Watch who wish to incorporate fire safety.

Once a group has formed a Community Fire Safe Facilitator, with the assistance of CFS volunteers, will provide ongoing technical information and resources. This may take the form of a series of informal meetings where the group can discuss such issues as fire behaviour, fire prevention and house survival. It may also incorporate a street walk to help residents identify local fire hazards and familiarise themselves with the fire fighting equipment on their neighbours’ properties.

Armed with this understanding, the groups can make decisions about the best way to protect themselves in a way that fits their lifestyle, environment, physical capabilities, finances and experience. In this way Community Fire Safe recognises that people are different and that there re many ‘right answers’ to fire safety.

An established Community Fire Safe group may look beyond their own small group and begin networking with other community groups, local councils, government agencies and non-government environmental groups to work together on fire prevention and land management issues.

Joint community/agency strategies may include:

• assisting local councils with the maintenance of roadside vegetation and fire breaks,
• working with local council to organise the disposal of garden refuse,

• lobbying local council and government agencies for particular fire prevention works to be undertaken,
• organising information sessions with other agencies such as SA Water, Forestry SA, SA Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs on fire behaviour and fire management in adjacent bushland,
• establishing a Bushcare site or join an existing group,
• presenting articles/talks to other community agencies

A ‘telephone tree’ is a method of communication between members of a defined community whereby information can be passed effectively using existing technology.

In its simplest form a phone tree may be a list of phone numbers of the members of the community. In its more complicated form it may have a defined structure and an agreed set of rules.

What is it used for?

Within the Community Fire Safe context, phone trees may be used to provide early warning of a fire. However, the philosophy behind Community Fire Safe is one of individual empowerment and self reliance and phone trees should never be seen as a substitute for sound knowledge, planning and action.

What information should it include?

Obviously, the basic information to include in a phone tree is the name and home phone number of each of the group members. More information may provide added benefits but these need to be carefully considered. From experience: ‘the simpler the better’.

You may also consider including work and mobile numbers but remember that there may be little residents can do if they are at work when there is a fire near their home. Attempting to return home through a fire affected area is a highly dangerous activity and should not be considered.

What form should it take?

There are four basic types of phone trees:

1. Simple - a list of numbers in no particular sequence.

2. Linear – a list of numbers with a well-defined start and finish.

3. Circular – a list of numbers that may start and finish anywhere in the circle.

4. Combination of circular and linear.

The size of your group will most likely determine the type of phone tree you develop. Ideally, irrespective of size, you should aim for the message to go around in 7 to 10 minutes. It may be necessary for larger groups to have a number of sub branches with the person(s) at the head of the phone tree needing to make two or three calls initially to set the process in motion

Small Groups (less than 10 members)

Usually a simple linear list will suffice. The person who activates the tree is at the top of the list and just rings the person after them, who rings the next person and so on.

Medium Sized Groups (10 to 20 members)

Once again a simple linear list may suffice. However, to speed up the process the person who activates the tree may ring two people who then each activate a separate branch of the tree. Alternatively, the phone tree could be in the form of a circle, which can be activated by any person who becomes aware of a fire. Using a circle also helps indicate when the message has gone around. If the person who activates the phone tree rings the person on each side of them this may speed up the process considerably.

Larger Groups (20+ members)

This option may involve a couple of circles – an inner circle of people who are usually at home and an outer circle of work numbers and mobiles for people not at home during the day. The inner circle is activated first, then the outer circle.

Where groups include a number of different streets (or geographically isolated residents) each street or area can have its own phone tree branch and the activator of each branch belongs to an inner circle that is activated first.

A member of the group must be responsible for activating the phone tree. There may be a member who lives in a prominent position with good views of the surrounding countryside where the first signs of smoke are clearly visible. Alternatively, there may be a group member with their own listening set or scanner which is programmed for CFS radio channels. If you have designed a circular phone tree it will not be necessary to appoint one particular member of the group to activate it.

How should it be used?

When operating a phone tree allow the phone to ring until it rings out. If no one answers, and no alternative numbers are provided, ring the next person on the list. If the alternative number is a work or mobile number consider ringing the next person on the list first to continue the phone tree as quickly as possible, then try the work or mobile number.

It is imperative to the operation of the phone tree that you speak personally to the person next in line. If this is not possible, ring the next person as well to ensure that the tree continues. Inform the people above you on the phone tree if you are going to be away or unreachable during a fire emergency, if someone else is minding the house or if you are incapacitated in some way. The evening before a Total Fire Ban day may be a good time to do this.

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