Fire safety a job for us all

With more than 50 fires burning around the state and deteriorating weather conditions predicted, it is clear that Tasmania faces a difficult few days.

Brighton firefighters on duty at Miena yesterday were Dean Plummer, left, Jason McKenzie, Ben Morice and Danny Pross. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

WITH more than 50 fires burning around the state and deteriorating weather conditions predicted, it is clear that Tasmania faces a difficult few days.

The Tasmania Fire Service last night declared that Tuesday, Thursday and Friday will be total fire ban periods. Forecasts indicate that fire danger will be very high, particularly on Thursday and Friday. The expected conditions were last night described as “very challenging”.

Summer bushfires have long been a fact of life and a hazard that Tasmanians have come to expect and adapt to. We are a state where a relatively high proportion of people live either in rural and regional areas, or in proximity to the bush, so are well aware of the risks.

For some, memories of the terrible 1967 bushfires or of events like the 2013 bushfire which ravaged Dunalley will never fade.

As this newspaper goes to print there are hundreds of men and women working in the field under difficult conditions to keep our state safe. Those firefighters from the Tasmania and interstate fire services, from Sustainable Timber Tasmania and from our Parks and Wildlife service are on the frontline of the fight and reinforcements are on the way from interstate and overseas.

They are supported by an army of support staff and community organisations and volunteers. All of them deserve our gratitude for their selfless work in keeping us safe.

Over the next few days, it cannot be overstated how important it is for every member of the community to prepare to prepare for the risk of bushfire. Now is the time for residents to review their personal bushfire survival plan — and that of their family.

For people planning to stay and defend their properties should fire approach, it is essential that they are extremely well-prepared. The right equipment as well as physical and emotional fitness for the task. The TFS sets out those requirements on its website.

For the majority of people who may be impacted by fire, the most sensible plan is to leave their properties early. If your home is not well prepared for a bush fire then leaving early is your safest option.

Even deciding to leave your property requires some careful preparation. Reviewing your safety plan now means having made a decision on what will prompt you to leave and what to take with you. Have a plan for what route you may take and where you will go. Think about how you will manage children or the elderly or less mobile, and about how best to look after pets and livestock. As the TFS website notes: “most people who die in bushfires are caught in the open, either in their car or on foot, because they’ve left their property too late: when the fire is approaching.”

Tasmania has been blessed in recent fire events that while there property damage, there has not been major loss of life. Hopefully, that record will continue, but it is not something to be left to luck. It is something in which we can all play a role: make your plan now.