CFS guide: How to prepare for bushfire season in South Australia
WE’VE all seen the frightening aftermath of a bushfire — but what do you need to do now to prepare your family and home for fire season?
FANCY the idea of a “tree change”? You’re not alone — South Australians are increasingly embracing the idyllic lifestyle of the Adelaide Hills and other regional areas.
But with the change of scenery comes the responsibility of educating yourself about your new surroundings — and the very real threat posed by bushfires.
There are certain elements of a bushfire that are out of our control, such as variable weather and inaccessible terrain, but being prepared for an emergency situation gives you the best chance of saving your life, your family and your home.
You need to know how to keep yourself, your loved ones, your pets, your neighbours and your property safe.
Country Fire Service preparedness operations director Leigh Miller said SA was set for a long summer after a warmer than average spring and early summer, and average rainfall.
This has prompted the bushfire danger season to be brought forward in nine of the state’s 15 fire ban districts.
“Already we have seen a very dry October so this means the grass fuels are drying off very quickly so we are starting to see grass fires now,” Mr Miller said.
“One of the important things for people to do is think about cleaning up the fuels around their house — grasses mainly.”
Mr Miller said a thorough bushfire survival plan, which included considering family circumstances, was a vital and life-saving element of preparing for the bushfire season.
“If you have thought about the activities that you are going to do leading up to summer, what you are going to do on those bad fire days and what you are going to do when you are impacted by a bushfire, that will reduce some of the panic people go through when they are faced by a bushfire,” he said.
“One of the important things for people to think about is when they are going to make that decision to leave early.
“It might be that they decide to do it on an extreme fire danger rating day or they might leave it to a catastrophic fire danger rating day.
“They need to think about how safe their property is and where they are comfortable about staying.
“Building those trigger points in the bushfire survival plan will link to the messages the CFS releases about fire danger ratings and about fires in the area. They should be used as the trigger points for putting a survival plan into place.”
PREPARING YOUR HOME AND GARDEN FOR BUSHFIRE SEASON
Spending a few hours completing simple tasks in your home and garden ahead of the bushfire season can make a big difference to your safety.
Mr Miller said grass fires were a problem early in the bushfire season, so people needed to start mowing grass and keeping fine fuel loads low around their property during spring.
The following tasks should be carried out on your property before the bushfire season:
ROOF
* Clean leaves and debris out of gutters and fit leaf guards to prevent leaf build-up.
* Install non-combustible firescreens over external skylights.
* Consider installing a sprinkler system to help defend against radiant heat and embers.
HOUSE
* Ensure LPG cylinder vent pipes are facing away from the house.
* Install metal screens or flywire on windows to protect against embers and radiant heat.
* Solid core doors with metal flywire screens and non-flammable draught excluders and pet doors.
* Regularly maintain any external timber cladding and seal any gaps.
* Protect evaporative air conditioners with metal flywire screens.
* Cover all external vents and crevices with metal flywire screens.
* Pergolas should be made of non-flammable materials or be well wetted down.
SHED
* Store fuel supplies away from house, preferably in a clearly marked shed.
* Store chemicals away from house, preferably in a clearly marked shed (separate to fuel).
VERANDA
* Remove flammable items from around your house (for example paper, boxes, crates).
YARD
* Move woodpiles away from house.
* Regularly maintain firefighting equipment (hoses, pumps, generators, mechanical devices).
* Use non-flammable materials for fencing, pergolas and lattice such as metal or brick.
* Ensure you have a sufficient water supply — 5000 litres minimum and at least 22,000 litres if you are planning on using a sprinkler system.
GARDEN
* Clear leaf litter and other fine fuels around the house.
* Mow lawn.
* Trim lower tree limbs.
* Remove flammable material within 20m of the house, or use pathways and gravel areas to provide fuel breaks.
BUSHFIRE SEASON FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I light a fire without a permit?
FIRE DANGER SEASON: In general, the only fires that do not require a permit are fires used for cooking, personal comfort, fires in incinerators, gas fired appliances and gas or electric welding equipment provided they are lit in accordance with the regulations and council restrictions applying to their use.
TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY: No.
Can I do a burn-off on my property?
FIRE DANGER SEASON: No — unless you have obtained a Schedule 9 permit from your local council. Check with your local council for conditions.
TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY: No — unless you have obtained a Schedule 10 permit from your local council. Check with your local council for conditions.
Can I use a chainsaw, brush cutter, mower or slasher?
FIRE DANGER SEASON: Yes — providing you have a 4m cleared space around the activity, or a shovel or rake and portable water spray are at hand. Additionally, all engine exhaust exits through the exhaust system and the system prevents the escape of burning material. Further, heated parts of the system are prevented from coming into contact with flammable material and the system is in good working order.
TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY: Yes — providing you have a 4m cleared space around the activity, or a shovel or rake and portable water spray are at hand. Additionally, all engine exhaust exits through the exhaust system and the system prevents the escape of burning material. Further, heated parts of the system are prevented from coming into contact with flammable material and the system is in good working order.
Can I use an angle grinder, welder or any other cutting tool outside?
FIRE DANGER SEASON: Yes — providing you have a 4m cleared space around the area and water or an extinguisher is at hand.
TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY: No — unless you have obtained a Schedule 10 permit from your local council.
Can I have a campfire, bonfire or light a fire for warmth or comfort?
FIRE DANGER SEASON: Yes — providing the fire is in a 30cm deep trench and no more than 1sqm in area, you have a 4m cleared space around and above the fire and a responsible person is in attendance at all times with water and/or an extinguisher
TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY: No — unless you have obtained a Schedule 10 permit from your local council.
Can I use a gas or electric barbecue?
FIRE DANGER SEASON: Yes — providing the barbecue is clear of all flammable material to a distance of at least 4m, a person who is able to control the fire is present at the site of the fire until it is extinguished and an appropriate extinguisher is at hand.
TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY: Yes — a gas or electric barbecue can be used within 15m of a domestic premises or on a coastal foreshore providing the barbecue is clear of all flammable material to a distance of at least 4m, a person who is able to control the fire is present at the site of the fire until it is extinguished and an appropriate extinguisher is at hand.
HOW TO CREATE A BUSHFIRE SURVIVAL PLAN
Creating a bushfire survival plan does not have to be complex and it could save your life and your family this summer.
Mr Miller said a well-prepared bushfire survival plan would include triggers aligned to fire danger ratings that would determine people’s course of action during a bushfire.
“Having a bushfire survival plan is very important because it really takes away that pressure when you are being faced by a bushfire about what to do next,” he said.
Mr Miller said people should consider what could be done around their property and what would ensure their own personal welfare and safety when making a bushfire survival plan.
“People often get put off by the idea of having a bushfire survival plan,” he said.
“When you break down a bushfire survival plan, it is made up of a lot of simple elements that people can do and it is those simple things that can help people’s safety during a bushfire.
“Some of the simple things that we promote for people to do is to make sure that they mow around their house regularly during summer to reduce the fuel load.
“Make sure that they have got their kit ready if they need to relocate, make sure that food is in there, water is in there and the appropriate clothing is in there.
“These are all simple things when added together will lead to a pretty reasonable bushfire survival plan.”
Mr Miller said important documents — passports, licences and insurance papers — needed to be easily accessible so they could be retrieved in the event a house was destroyed.
The following items should be included in your bushfire survival or relocation kits:
SURVIVAL KIT
*Battery-operated radio
*Bottled drinking water
*Buckets
*Fire extinguishers
*First-aid kit
*Gloves
*Hoses
*Ladder
*Medications
*Mop
*Protective clothing
*Safety goggles
*Shovel
*Smoke mask
*Spare batteries
*Torch
*Towels
*Woollen blankets
RELOCATION KIT
*Battery-operated radio and spare batteries
*Blankets (durable fibres)
*Bottled water (enough for each family member)
*Children’s toys
*Clothing (two sets of clothes for each family member)
*Family and friends’ phone numbers
*Identity information (passports, birth certificates)
*Items of importance (family photos, valuables, documents)
*Medications
*Mobile phone and charger
*Protective clothing for the whole family
*Safety goggles
*Wallet or purse and money
MORE INFORMATION
CFS website — fire ban, warnings and incidents, plus information for the public and volunteers