Prepare a bushfire survival plan.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the country, city or suburbs – if your home is in an area even remotely at risk of bushfire you need to have a bushfire survival plan.
Generally speaking, this should apply to:
- Any house in an area with a history of bushfires;
- Houses within a few blocks of bushland;
- Properties not at direct risk but that are situated near a wilderness corridor, and
- If you’d need to travel through bushland in order to escape.
Regarding the fourth point, if you are located somewhere remote or where there’s only a few major roads in and out of your town or property, it’s wise to think about what route/s you’d take to escape a crisis. Remember, in the event of an emergency familiar roads may be blocked, have traffic jams or detours.
Planning to make a plan is not a plan. Be decisive.
As the fire service says: planning to make a plan is not a plan.
It’s best to check your bushfire survival plan and update it annually. Make sure all the family, tenants and any long-term guests know what to do if fire approaches.
Emergency planning resources:
There are apps, guides and checklists for bushfire survival that you can download from your local fire service, state or council.
Be sure to also stay in touch with the neighbours, and don’t forget to include pets and livestock in your plans.
Extract by Emma Sorenson, realestate.com.au