While you don't need to go to the same lengths as the owners of this home to protect your home from bushfire, let's have a look at some of the things you should be doing.
Pre-prepared lists:
You should have a preparation list/to do list to have completed prior to bushfire season. This would include tasks such as:
- Raking and removing dead leaves
- Removing dead branches from tree's and shrubs around the house (and any other building)
- Pruning trees and shrubs around the house (and any other building)
- Cleaning gutters
- Keep lawn and paddocks short around the house (and any other building)
- Keep lawns and gardens green where practical
- Remove your firewood pile from winter
- Complete any maintenance or servicing required for your bushfire protection system
- Run your bushfire protection system to ensure it is all running correctly and appropriately
- Check your water tanks and other water sources for leaks and levels
You should have another preparation list/to do list to have completed the night before an extreme/catastrophic fire day. This list would include tasks such as:
- Move fuel sources, such as gas bottles, as far from the house and other buildings as possible
- Remove all clutter from around the house and other buildings IE kids toys, gardening tools, outdoor furniture etc
- Check your gutters and remove any debris in them
- Walk around and check tasks from the previous list are completed and upto date
Additions to this list if you are planning to stay home include:
- Run your bushfire protection system to ensure all is running correctly and appropriate resources available (water and fuel)
- Check your water availability including back up supply + drinking water
- Move all hoses and buckets to a safe place to be used if required (wont get burnt while the fire comes through if they aren’t in use)
How much cleared space should we allow?
The cleared area around your home should extend at least 20m and at least 5m around all other buildings and assets.
Gutters:
I know we all harp on about keeping gutters clear, but it really is so important during a bushfire. Embers and dried leaf litter clogging up gutters are responsible for a large percentage of homes not surviving. Embers land in the gutters, burn up under the roof space resulting in the space above your ceiling catching fire. At this point there is very little you can do to save your home.
An extra step for your gutters is to fill them with water. There are a few ways this can be done:
- Gutter bungs that can be kept in a bucket in the shed. The idea is that when a bushfire is heading your way, you can run around and throw them in the gutters where the downpipe comes down, grab a hose and fill the gutters. These still generally leak so are better suited to a property that will be actively defended to ensure the gutters can be regularly topped up.
- Rags or anything you can use to block the downpipes in a hurry are better than nothing
- Our personal preference is the Bushfire Buddy by Gutter Block. This is a device that is pre-installed with a tap that can be turned by any able-bodied person. If you're installing these, we would also suggest that at the same time, installing a hose, to be attached to a garden tap to make filling the gutters really quick and easy.
If you use your collected rain water for drinking water, we suggest having a way of disconnecting your downpipes from your tanks so the dirty firefighting water doesn’t go back into your potable water.
Conclusion:
Bushfire preparedness is a year round task. Whether you are planning to leave early or stay to defend, a well prepared property has a much higher chance of survival.
If you do not have any preparation lists, there is no better time than now to create them.
