(KnowRisk)
13 December 2017
The most important thing that you and your family must consider before the onset of a bushfire is whether to stay and fight a fire, or to go.
If you don’t think you that you or your family can fight a bushfire then relocate as early as possible. Experience has shown that lives can be lost when people make a last-minute decision to flee. Lives and property can be saved with timely and adequate planning.
If a fire is approaching, make sure you:
- Alert your family and neighbours.
- Bring your pets inside.
- Make sure everyone is wearing protective clothing.
- Tune your radio to your local ABC AM station or other Emergency Broadcast Partner.
- Shut all doors and windows in your home.
- Fill your bath, sinks and as many buckets or containers with water.
- Place wet towels under doorways.
- Move your furniture away from windows and take your curtains down.
- Wet down all areas of your home on the side facing the direction of the fire.
- Dampen window ledges allowing water to get into any gaps.
- Plug drains and fill gutters with water.
Once a fire arrives:
- Go inside your house and bring buckets, hoses and mops with you.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Look around inside your house for embers or spot fires.
After the fire has passed:
- Go outside and extinguish any small sport fires and embers.
- Maintain a “fire watch”, checking for smoke and sparks throughout the house.
- Let everyone who could be worried about you know that you are okay.
- Stay tuned to the radio or emergency services twitter feeds for updates.
- Stay home until you are sure the area is clear of fire.
- Throw away any food that may have been exposed to heat, smoke or soot.
- Do not use any water that may have been contaminated to wash dishes, prepare food or bathe in.
More information
Find more information on how to plan and prepare for a fire and learn about available resources at these websites:
Source: KnowRisk
