| In bushfires, radiant heat, dehydration and asphyxiation are the main killers. Well-prepared houses resist brief exposure to fire, protecting occupants who can save their homes.
 Before the bushfire season
| Prevent/Prepare |
| remove rubbish, leaf litter and native shrubs close to buildings |
| form a wide firebreak around your home, eg short, green grass (use mower, spade, rake), trim branches well clear of the house. Clear roof and gutters of leaves, twigs etc |
| fit wire screens to doors, windows and vents, and enclose all gaps, roof eaves and the area under your house |
| store wood, gas, petrol, paint etc well clear of the house |
| keep ladders handy for roof access (inside and out). Fit hoses to reach all parts of the house and garden. If mains pressure water is not connected, obtain a high pressure pump |
| check you have adequate insurance cover for bushfire |
| agree on a household plan to leave early or stay to protect your home during a bushfire (see below). If leaving, plan when, where, how you will go and what to take |
If a bushfire approaches
Prepare as above, unless you have decided to leave early or are ordered to do so. Stay in the house after taking these precautions:
| Leave/Protect |
| phone 000 - don't assume the fire service knows |
| turn off gas. Put door mats inside. Close vents, windows, doors, and block gaps from the inside with wet towels |
| fill baths, sinks, buckets and bins with reserve water |
| plug downpipes with rags and fill gutters with water |
| remove curtains, cross-tape windows and move furniture clear |
| wear long, woollen or heavy cotton clothing, solid boots or shoes, a hat or woollen balacalva, and gloves |
| hose down all walls, garden etc on sides facing the fire and watch for spot fires from flying sparks or embers |
| as the main fire-front arrives, go inside with hoses, away from windows, while it passes (usually 5 to 15 minutes) |
| quickly extinguish any fires which may have started in, near, or under the house or roof |
| check inside roof too |
| if the house is alight and can't be extinguished, move to burnt ground. Don't go-wait for help |
| listen to battery radio for updates |
If caught in a fire driving
| Shelter in a car |
| don't drive into or near bushfires. If caught in a bushfire don't drive through flames or thick smoke |
| stop in an area of low vegetation. Leave motor running and airconditioner (recycle), hazard lights and headlights on |
| stay inside unless near safe shelter. Keep vents, windows and doors closed. Lie inside, below window level, under a woollen blanket for skin protection |
| after the main fire-front passes, if car is on fire or heat and fumes inside are severe, get out and move to already burnt ground, keeping your whole body covered with the blanket |
| The fuel tank is unlikely to explode in the period you need to stay in the car while being shielded from the deadly radiant heat of the main fire-front. |
Emergency survival requirements
If faced with the dangers of body dehydration, smoke inhalation and radiant heat from flames, emergency protection is possible, even in high-intensity fires. Wrap yourself in a heavy, pure wool blanket and carry water to drink; use moistened blanket corner as a smoke mask.
If caught in fire, on foot
| Seek Shelter |
| don't panic - cover all exposed skin and hair |
| move across-slope, away from the fire-front, then down-slope towards the rear of the main fire-front |
| find open or already-burnt ground. Don't try to outrun fire, or go uphill, or through even low flames, unless you can clearly see a safe area very close by |
| if you can't avoid the fire, lie face-down under a bank, rock, loose earth or in a hollow, or if possible get into a dam or stream, but not a metal water tank |
This information is brought to you by Emergency Management Australia, a Commonweatlh Government Agency. Neither Reckon Ltd ACN 003 348 730, nor Reckon.com.au Pty Ltd ACN 079 120 568 accepts any responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of such information. |