NSW and QLD bushfires: How to save your home

With the worst still yet to come as fires burn across the country, this simple checklist might help protect you and your home.

Three people have died and 200 homes and sheds destroyed as fires burned over the weekend in NSW and Queensland, but experts warn the worst is yet to come on Tuesday.

“People need to have a plan,” Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Today on Monday.

Residents “need to be knowing what they are going to do, where they are going to”, Mr Fitzsimmons said, and according to the NSW RFS, there are four steps people can take to survive.

Firefighters are battling blazes in both states, as residents in parts of Western Australia are on high alert with an “extreme fire danger” forecast for the southern interior.

There are catastrophic conditions predicted for Greater Sydney and the Greater Hunter areas, with Anthony Clark from the RFS saying the situation would be “as bad as it gets”.

A combination of widespread drought and increased temperatures and winds will “create the perfect conditions for catastrophic fire danger ratings, which is the highest rating on that scale and first time it has been issued for Sydney”, said meteorologist Ben Domensino.

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Under these catastrophic conditions, the safest option is to leave and “leave early” and avoid being in at-risk areas.

“During a bushfire, the safest place to be is somewhere else,” Dr Richard Thornton told ABC Radio.

“It came out of Black Saturday (in Victoria in 2009) where what we found was, that in those conditions, it was almost impossible to adequately defend a house,” Dr Thornton said.

“It’s not something you should be contemplating.”

Mr Fitzsimmons reiterated Dr Thornton’s warning, saying that fire becomes erratic and extreme in these conditions, and the RFS would not be putting fires out once they’d taken hold.

“Suppression is futile,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

“We will not and cannot guarantee a fire truck or aircraft at anyone’s house. We cannot guarantee a knock at the door or an emergency alert coming through on your phone to give you a warning,” he said, adding RFS’ focus is on “life safety and life protection”.

“Our advice is you should plan your day, you should leave early,” Mr Fitysimmons said.

If you are going to be at risk, you should organise to stay at a friend’s house until it’s safe to return to your own.

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FOUR STEPS TO SAVING YOUR HOME

There are four steps you can take to prepare for a bushfire, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service.

1. Discuss what to do if a bushfire threatens your home.

“Have the plan – having a conversation with family and loved ones, knowing where you are going to be and where you are going to go can make the difference of you and your loved ones surviving in conditions like we are expecting tomorrow,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

Leaving early is your safest choice. Consider when you’ll leave, where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, what you’ll take, who you will call to tell that you’re leaving and that you’ve arrived safely, and what your backup plan is.

If deciding to stay, make sure your household is well prepared and you’re not putting anyone in your family at risk, and consider whether you can cope in an emergency situation.

Download a discussion guide here.

2. Prepare your home and get ready.

There are five actions to make your home safer to prepare it for a bushfire. These should be completed well beforehand, as leaving it to the last minute is too late.

• Trim overhanging trees and shrubs. This can stop the fire spreading to your home.

• Mow grass and remove the cuttings. Have a cleared area around your home.

• Remove material that can burn around your home.

• Clear and remove all the debris and leaves from the gutters surrounding your home.

• Prepare a sturdy hose that will reach all around your home. Make sure you’ve got a reliable source of water.

Download a checklist here.

3. Know the bushfire alert levels.

If there’s a fire in your area you can find out the alert level on the NSW RFS website, on the Queensland RFS website or on the radio.

“People need to be vigilant, monitor the website, download the apps, set up so you can get notifications,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

The three levels are:

Advice – A fire has started. There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.

Watch and act – There is a heightened level of threat. You need to start taking action to protect you and your family.

Emergency warning – You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.

Before a fire even starts, you should also monitor the fire danger ratings — the higher the fire danger rating, the more dangerous a fire is likely to be.

Severe – You should only stay if your home is well prepared and you’re ready to defend it.

Extreme – Only stay if your home is prepared to the very highest level and is specially built to survive a bushfire.

Catastrophic – Is as bad as it gets – no homes are built to withstand a fire in these conditions. Leaving early is your only safe option.

4. Keep key information.

In the event of a bushfire, it’s important that you stay up to date on conditions in your area.

The NSW RFS strongly advises saving these numbers, links and apps:

• For information on bushfires, call the Bush Fire Information Line 1800 NSW RFS (1800 679 737). In an emergency, call triple-0 (000).

• NSW Rural Fire Service website and the Fire Danger Ratings page.

• Download the free Fires Near Me smartphone app.

• Monitor local radio, local ABC/emergency broadcaster frequency, TV, newspapers.

• Keep up to date with the NSW RFS Facebook and Twitter pages.