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Some Tips to Help Keep you Safe
Home Bushfire Preparation
PLAN TO PROTECT YOUR HOME: Preparing your
Home for the Bushfire Season
If you follow these simple guidelines you
can reduce the threat of embers and bushfire affecting your home:
 | Clean leaves from gutters, roofs and
downpipes regularly and fit quality metal leaf guards. |
| Screen vents on roof voids with fine
metal wire mesh. |
| When installing LPG cylinders around
your home, make sure that pressure relief valves face outwards so that flame
is not directed towards the house. |
| Keep woodpiles well away from the
house and covered. |
| Cut back overhanging trees, keep grass
short and rake up flammable leaves, twigs and cuttings. |
| Do not deposit tree loppings, grass
clippings etc behind your property into council reserves or bushland. |
| Ensure your garden hoses are long
enough to reach the perimeter boundary. |
| Plant trees and shrubs that are less
likely to ignite due to their lower oil content. |
| If you have a swimming pool, have a
Static Water Supply sign placed on your front fence. Contact your local fire
service for information. |
| Consider purchasing a portable pump to
use from your swimming pool or water tank. |
| If there is a Community Fire Unit or
Firewise group nearby, become a member. |
| Make sure that any fire hydrants near
your home are easily located and not obstructed. |
In the event of bushfire threatening your home:
| Don’t enter the bush if smoke or fire
is in the area. Stay calm and report all fires on 000! |
| Check if elderly neighbours need
assistance. |
| If possible, block your gutters and
fill with water. |
| If you choose to self-evacuate, do so
early. |
| If ordered by the NSW Police or ACT
Emergency Services Personnel to evacuate you must obey, so have pets and
valuables packed and ready to go. |
| Wear long sleeves and long pants,
natural fibres and sturdy footwear. |
| Close all windows and doors, block
spaces beneath doors with towels or blankets. |
| If the fire is approaching your house,
bring your garden hose and fittings inside so they won’t melt in the fire, as
you may need them later. |
| To help put out spot fires once the
fire has passed, keep hoses, ladders, shovels and metal buckets at hand. |
| Keep a torch and portable radio in the
home in case the electricity supply fails. |
Things to consider when preparing your bushfire survival plan
include:
| Your level of bushfire knowledge. Do
you have a good understanding of your bushfire risk? Do you know how bushfires
can affect people and property? |
| Will you go or stay? Whatever your
decision, it needs to be well thought out and made well in advance. |
| What direction is the fire likely to
approach your property from? Bushfires usually come with strong hot northerly
or westerly winds. However, the direction of an approaching fire will depend
on many local factors. |
| Is your property sited in a risky
location? The siting of your home has a large effect on its chances of
surviving a bushfire. For example, fires travel more quickly up hill and
houses located at the tops of bushy gullies are particularly at risk. |
| Has your house been designed and built
with the risk of bushfires in mind? |
| Has your property been landscaped in a
way that minimises the bushfire risk? The type and location of trees and other
vegetation on your property can protect or endanger your house. |
| What do you need to do to prepare yourselves and your property? Whether
you decide to go or stay, a well prepared house or other buildings are more
likely to survive. |
Other things to consider when preparing your bushfire
survival plan include:
| How will you receive warning of the
approaching fire? It is not always possible for the emergency services to give
a personal warning. Listen to news reports regularly on both radio and
television. |
| How will you receive information
during the fire? Have a portable AM/FM radio + spare batteries handy. |
| What will you do if you or other
members of your household are away from home when the bushfire threatens as
you may or may not be able to return? Consider a designated contact or meeting
place. |
| Make sure everyone in your household
knows about the plan. Make time to sit down together and discuss it
thoroughly. Remember, ALL members must know exactly what they need to do.
Practice the steps in your plan before the 'Bushfire Danger Period' |
| Discuss your plan with your
neighbours. |
| Consider joining a local community
fire safety group such as a community fire unit or firewise group. |
Remember
| Design your plan so you don't rely on
power, water, phones or emergency services. |
| Use the weather as your cue to
activate your bushfire survival plan. |
| Make sure everyone in your household
understands what they have to do. |
FACT: Most people who die in bushfires die as a result of
last-minute, unplanned evacuations.
For More information regarding fire safety contact the station or visit
the NSWFB web site
www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au
FACT : Last year 189 homes
were seriously damaged during fires where the ignition source was fireplaces,
heaters and hot water heaters, 974 household fires were ignited by stoves,
ovens, deep fryers and other cooking equipment and 592 fires were caused by
mechanical failure such as short circuits and faulty plugs. (Statistics correct
as of 17/04/03)
The average
cost of damage caused by fire is $20,988 per house fire
ARE YOU
FIRE SAFE IN THE HOME?
The NSW Fire Brigades
recommends this simple safety checklist to assist in keeping your home fire
safe.
| Installing an adequate number of suitable smoke
alarms and testing them regularly is the first step in your home fire safety
plan. |
| Having a written escape plan in case of fire and
practicing it regularly is the second step |
| Make sure keys to all locked doors are readily
accessible in case you need to escape. |
| Never leave cooking or any other open flame
including candles or oil burners unattended. |
| Clean the lint filter of your clothes dryer each
and every time you use it. |
| Never smoke in bed and take extra care if
consuming alcohol whilst smoking. |
| In Winter take extra care when using heaters,
electric blankets or open fires. |
| Don’t overload power points and switch off
appliances when not in use. |
| Always keep lighters and matches away from
children and educate them that they are “tools not toys” to only be used by
responsible adults. |
| If you have a garage or shed remember to take
extra care with any stored chemicals and fuels and always refuel mowers,
edgers etc when they are cold and in the open. |
| If you have a gas, electric or wood BBQ always
check that it is in safe working order before lighting and that it is always
in the care of a responsible adult when in use. |
| If you live in a bushfire prone area keep the
ground around your home clear of leaves and other litter and remember to clean
your gutters regularly. |
Fire safety Tips
| Remember that smoke from a fire will make you
confused and that you cannot see in |
| When asleep you will not smell smoke and it will
in fact put you into a deeper sleep |
| If you have escaped from a home fire, remember
once you get out stay out and dial 000 |
| Oil, gas or wood heating units may require a
yearly maintenance check |
| Only ever use fuses of recommended rating and
install an electrical safety switch |
| Home fire safety is important for the whole
family and preparation can prevent a tragedy |
Where Fires Start
| 15% Bedrooms |
| 39% Kitchen cooking area |
| 3% Garage |
| 3% Chimney |
| 11% Lounge area |
| 2% Concealed roof/ceiling |
| 27% undetermined other |
Fact: 86% of
all house fires attended did not have smoke alarms installed.
For More information regarding fire safety contact the station or visit
the NSWFB web site
www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au
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Kurri
Kurri Fire Station Web Site 
