A bushfire is a fire that occurs in the bush, scrubs, woodland or grassland. In south east Australia, bushfires tend to be most common and most severe during summer and autumn, especially in drought years. Households located close to such areas are almost exposed to risk of fire. Find out our basic tips for those who want to survive bushfires and to protect their homes from it:

1. First and most important is you and your family. Make sure you have fire-retardant, protective clothing. By making smart clothing choices, you can help ensure your safety during a bushfire emergency. For maximum protection trousers, long-sleeved shirts, shoes or work boots made of leather, a broad-brimmed hat, industrial gloves, and to protect your face invest in protective eyewear, face masks or a dampened handkerchief to protect yourself from inhaling smoke.
2. Make sure you seal under doors and windows with wet towels or absorbent blankets to create a buffer to prevent smoke and airborne embers from entering your home.
3. Keep grass cut, clear away fallen leaves and dead undergrowth, tan bark and wood piles near your home. Instead you may plant a protective shield of trees which don't burn easily around the house to slow the wind. Also remove rubbish from the gutters.
4. Place firescreens on windows to prevent the glass from cracking in radiant heat.
5. Shut all windows and doors to prevent smoke and flames from entering the house. Move furniture away from the windows to prevent sparks from entering the house through a broken window and catch alight in the furniture, which is often made of material which will burn easily.
6. Fill the bath and buckets with water to provide a water supply in the house for putting out any small fires that may start. Soak towels and woollen blankets with water to cover your face to protect against smoke inhalation.
7. Identify tools that may be helpful to fight off flames such as rakes, shovels and spades which will assist you to cover burning matter with dirt, extinguish spot fires or rake over areas where piles of matter may prove to be a fire hot spot.
8. Plan ahead and source alternate water in advance so as to not be reliant on town water entirely. This is very important particularly in remote areas as you cannot always depend on the reliability or supply of town water in a crisis situation. Independent water sources could be your swimming pool, a water tank or property dam.
9. In a bushfire, a radio and a couple of torches that are battery operated are a must. Torches will give you the ability to check regularly for embers and loose debris and provide you visibility if and when you need it. A portable radio will keep you updated with warnings from relevant authorities so you can stay abreast of the bushfire’s progress and how it will impact the region. Importantly, don’t forget spare batteries for both torches and your radio.
10. Keep a ladder handy for roof access inside and outside.