Prepare & Save your house from Bushfire

 

 

Regardless of your decision to Leave Early or Stay and Defend, you still need to prepare your property against the threat of a bush fire or ember attack.

• A well prepared home is more likely to survive a bush fire.
• Even if your plan is to Leave Early, the more you prepare your home, the more likely it will be to survive bush fire or ember attack.
• A well prepared home can be easier for you and firefighters to defend.
• A well prepared home is less likely to put your neighbours’ homes at risk.
• A well prepared home will give you more protection if a fire threatens suddenly and you cannot leave and have to take shelter.

 

Some of the things you should do around your property include:

• Cut back any overhanging trees or shrubs and dispose of cuttings appropriately
• Check the condition of your roof and replace any damaged or missing tiles
• Non-combustible fences are the most effective at withstanding the intense heat generated by a bush fire
• Clean leaves from the roof, gutters and downpipes and fit quality metal leaf guards
• Plant trees and shrubs that are less likely to ignite due to their low oil content
• If you have a water tank, dam or swimming pool, consider installing a Static Water Supply (SWS) sign
• Enclose underfloor areas
• Store wood piles well away from the house and keep covered
• Keep garden mulch away from the house and keep grass short
• Make sure the pressure relief valve on LPG cylinders face outwards (so a flame wouldn’t be directed towards the house)
• Ensure you have a hose which is long enough to reach every part of the home
• Remove and store any flammable items away from the house
• Install metal flywire or solid screens to the outside windows and doors
• Have a non-combustible doormat
• Check the condition of external walls, cladding and seal any gaps
• Maintain adequate levels of home and contents insurance.

In a bush fire many houses are destroyed through ember attack, when burning twigs and leaves carried by the wind land on or around the house. Even houses away from the direct path of the fire can be affected.

 

Look for the places embers could start fires – on the roof, under the floor and around windows and doors – and take action to prevent them.

 

Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=2667