Diamond Creek CFA: Monopoly-style game helps families prepare for bushfire season

There’s nothing fun about bushfire season. But the Diamond Creek CFA hopes its new board game will help people of all ages get bushfire-ready. Here’s how you play.

Diamond Creek CFA members Fiona Macken, Hugh Pilsworth, Antoinette Ribchester, Bill Pritchard and Kellie Clarkson enjoy The Fire Game, designed to educate families about the bushfire season. Picture: Josie Hayden

The Diamond Creek CFA is rolling the dice and hoping a new Monopoly-style board game will help homeowners across Nillumbik become more fire-ready.

The Fire Game, developed by Surf Coast Shire, was adapted by Diamond Creek CFA to be Nillumbik specific.

Diamond Creek CFA third lieutenant Fiona Macken said the board game would operate like Monopoly and would help educate the community about the fast-approaching bushfire season.

CFA members Fiona Macken, Hugh Pilsworth, Antoinette Ribchester, Bill Pritchard and Kellie Clarkson roll the dice.

“During the game you either land on a place name or on one of four colours,” she said.

“The yellow card is a chance card and the rest of the colours represent the before, during and after stages of a fire — with questions related to those three stages.

“Landing on the place name means you must then answer questions to that specific location — for example, in the event of a fire in Diamond Creek, where are the designated safe community gathering spaces?”

Lieutenant Macken said she hoped the game would spark conversation about ways to prepare for the next fire danger season.

“We want people to have fun with it, but at the same time also open discussion about fire preparedness, readiness and recovery,” she said.

“Hopefully it will lead people to finding out more information and helping them set up a fire preparation plan.”

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Ms Macken said 100 copies had been printed, but required further funding to roll the game out to libraries, cafes and schools across Nillumbik.

HOW TO HELP

Any businesses prepared to sponsor the game or donate can email [e-mail]