Pet Protection

Do you have a pet? More importantly, do you LOVE your pet?

If you answered yes or broke down with pet loving joy when thinking of ‘Mr. Bigglesworth’ and how cute his little face is when you smoosh it around – “Who’s a good Mr. Bigglesworth? Hey! You are! You’re a good Mr. Bigglesworth” … to either of these questions, then chances are your pet is already at risk of INSTANT DEATH.

Not really, but by the sounds of things – you care a lot about your little guy, you probably even want to spend your life with him/her…well you’re in luck because I’ve got 3 top tips to ensure your pet lives for thousands of years … or at least have a pretty good chancing of surviving an emergency event.

Jesus, God, NO! A FIRE!

 

#1 GET TO KNOW YOUR PET

Or rather, make sure your pet is well known to appropriate authorities. Make sure they’re always wearing an easily identifiable collar that is up to date with YOUR relevant contact information. If for some reason (god forbid) Mr. Bigglesworth gets a fright and leaves the property, you want to make sure he is back in your arms safe and sound as soon as possible. It could also save you the embarrassment of running down the street, tears streaming from your face screaming “MR. BIGGLESWORTH!! MR. BIGGLESWORTH!!” – no one wants to see that.

#2 PREPARE (A) PET PACK

PPP as I like to call it, just make sure you include all the ‘Ps’ otherwise it may sound like your collecting dog urine…

A ‘Pet Pack’ is a pre-packed bag or container full of all your pet’s necessary items, incase you need to leave home in a hurry. Make sure you include all the necessities like:

• food, treats and water, for all those roadie snacks
• any medication your little guy requires, as well as any medical records
• a first aid kit, just in case they break a nail
• a sturdy leash and harness, to stop all escape attempts
• a current photo, for obvious reasons, but you can keep yours by your bed
• (optional) their favourite toy.

 

#3 KNOW A SAFE PLACE

Have a few places you can leave your pet. In a major disaster, it’s not uncommon for pets to not be allowed with evacuation centres and temporary residences. Check with family or friends who live in a different area to you if they would be happy to look after Mr. Bigglesworth if you can’t for the time being. Otherwise check the local hotels and motels in the area, and inquire about their policies for allowing pets on premises in special cases of emergencies. There are usually a lot of commercial pet kennels throughout most of Australia too, find one closest to you, and see if it’s a viable option.

Bushfire safety for bushwalkers and canyoners

Here is some absolutely must read advice for all of us who love to be in the great outdoors! You never know when you might be faced with a life or death situation in the bush. So always be prepared – this article is a great start!

 

Bushfire safety for bushwalkers and canyoners:

3 Ways Your Garden Can Save Your Home From a Bushfire

Australians love a good garden, and why not, they’re often a wonderful reminder of the raw beauty of nature in an sometimes overwhelming urban backdrop. For those of us who live in or close to the bush it’s no different. There’s something strangely beautiful about a well-kept garden full of colours and extravagant plants in front of a wild and untamed Australian bush. As I’m sure we’re all aware and have seen too often, the Australian bush truly is an unbelievable, unpredictable and wild place at times – particularly in the summer! Understanding and reducing the risk (through landscaping) your garden poses to your home could ultimately be the difference its survival during a bushfire. Strategically designed gardens can actually help protect your home from a bushfire attack.

So here are 3 ways your garden can save your home from a bushfire!

1. Break Up Fuel Continuity

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) state that one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of fire within a garden is “to create separation between, plants, garden beds and tree canopies”. If plants, garden beds and trees are in close proximity to each other, the more fuel the fire has to burn and therefore the more likely it is to spread and grow in size. If there is a continuous line of vegetation leading up to and around your home, there is a very good chance the fire will spread to your house. There’s a few simple ways you can break up your garden continuity:

• Separating groups/beds of plants with low fuel areas like grass, gravel or mulch pathways.
• Pruning branches to a minimum of 2 metres above the ground.
• Locating shrubs or other flammable objects away from trees.

A good example of a localised garden bed with a grassed area surrounding

2. Place/Maintain Strategic Trees

Contrary to popular belief – trees can actually be useful in a fire. Of course this is only if they’re located a safe distance from the home, so if they fall they do not come into contact with any flammable objects close to your home. Strategically placed trees can act as a windbreak, absorb radiant heat, and catch incoming fire embers. This isn’t a foolproof strategy however, as the trees need to be meticulously maintained and particular species with no loose bark required. Of course, one can not simply plant a tree in time for this year’s bushfire season, or the next fifteen for that matter, so maintaining already existing trees may be your only short-term option. I should stress that if you’re considering this option, there are a lot of variables to take into account – so click here for more information.

Species like stringy bark can be dangerous as they drop a lot of flammable material

3. Clear Flammable Objects Within 10m of the Home

This is an easy one. Having your gardens within such a close proximity the home is an absolute no-no. To keep your home close to nature, try using moveable pot-plants that can easily be relocated during the summer months. Make sure the pots are non-combustible materials too. Apply your common knowledge to what could ignite close to your home. Doormats are usually highly combustible and will go up very easily if an ember comes into contact with them. Firewood stocks should also be kept at a significant distance away from the home, for obvious reasons. Don’t forget about gas tanks in the BBQ or outdoor furniture!

Pot-plants are easy to move in the summer

5 Quick and Easy Bushfire Prep Tips

Having a well kept garden full of Australia’s beautiful indigenous plants are a necessity for all those who love the Australian bush. However, it’s vitally important you understand the dangers your garden could bring to your home in the event of a bushfire. Homes are lost in bushfires when embers carried by the wind from the fire land on or near the house and ignite flammable objects nearby. That’s why it’s always a good idea to make sure your gardens and other vegetation around the home aren’t going to burn your home down! Here’s three easy tips to check if your garden is bushfire safe!

1. Trees and plants that drop a lot of leaf litter should not come in to contact with your home. If they fall close to your home – they should be regularly raked and removed. Leaf litter left unattended will ignite to an ember and be carried by the wind towards your home.

2. Ladders and creepers are a beautiful way to make your home look more integrated with nature. But they’re also very dangerous in a bushfire. Essentially, they provide an abundance of fuel for the fire right where you don’t want a fire to be.

3. Continuous lines of plants and gardens that stretch from areas that are more susceptible to fire (the bush) should be broken up. They will literally act as a fuze between your home and the bushfire.

4. Make sure your any grass lawns around the home are kept below 5 centimetres in length. Dry, long grass can easily ignite and spread fire around the home.

5. Although mulch is a great way to improve the quality of the soil, improve water efficiency and keep plants cool and moist in summer, it can also be very flammable when it dries out. There are plenty of other just as good alternatives that you could replace your mulch with. Gravel, scoria, pebbles, shells and recycled crushed bricks come in a variety of colours and shapes, so finding one that suits your garden should be easy!

Stay tuned for part 2 and some great tips to build a beautiful bushfire safe garden.

Leave a comment below with any questions, I would love to hear them!

The Deadly Faces of Arson (Warning Contains Graphic Content)

(Interactive Gallery)

“I didn’t mean it” – Brendan James Sokaluk – The former CFA volunteer was found guilty of deliberately lighting a fire that killed 10 people during the Black Saturday fires of 2009.

The cars of two victims from the Churchill fire that Sokaluk deliberately lit. “We are without our much-loved family, and we still have a grandson without a mother, father or brother” – Victims’ relative Rhonda Jacobs.

Robert Paul Long was responsible for killing 15 people in Childers, QLD. The victims were mostly foreign backpackers staying in the Palace Backpackers Hostel while they were fruitpicking on local farms.

“I’m dying … I started the fire” – After being shot 3 times by police, Long confessed to his crime. He would live to face court and the distraught families of his victims.

Roger Kingsley Dean was a nurse at the Quakers Hill Nursing Home when he deliberately set it on fire, killing 11 elderly residents.

Armed with a cigarette lighter, Dean set fire to numerous beds – some of which were occupied by the elderly. Dean was allegedly in a state of panic to cover up his theft of hundreds of painkiller tablets. He is NSW’s worst mass murderer.

In America, mass murderers use guns, in Australia, mass murderers use fire.

That’s the shocking reality of our current situation in Australia. Too often we hear on the news about the struggles with gun crimes in the U.S. and although it is absolutely tragic what is happening over there, when are we going to realise that this sort of thing is happening on our own shores. Arsonists are murdering Australians with a very powerful weapon – fire.

The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 innocent Australians in the worst bushfire in Australia’s history. There were a number of blazes burning that day and the days leading up to the event, with police believing arson may have been the cause of ignition in a few of the fires. Then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, declared the event as “mass murder” and the state of Victoria as a giant crime scene. Only one arsonist was found and convicted of murder in relation to the fires of 2009 and that was simply because his car broke down a short distance away from where he lit the fires. The rest will never be found, their criminal actions covered up by the same inferno that claimed 173 lives, hundreds of homes, and thousands of livelihoods.

Unfortunately these weren’t the last fires to be deliberately lit by arsonists, nor were they the first. The nature of the crime and the nature of Australia’s unique environment, means that arsonists are very elusive and difficult to track down. That’s why authorities are constantly urging communities to keep their eye out for suspicious persons in bushfire prone areas, because the more people we have committed to this cause – the less Australians will be affected by arson in the future. Get involved, and find out how you can spot an arsonist here.

It’s Get Ready Weekend!

Well not quite. But this coming weekend of the 18th and 19th of October is ‘Get Ready Weekend’, which means that if you don’t have your bushfire survival plan and other preparations complete – you’re running out of time!! Luckily, this coming weekend will be a great opportunity to get your family and friends involved and start prepping!

Not only is this weekend a great opportunity for you to get started on preparing your home for the Summer, but there’s also a lot of community organised events taking place throughout the nation – just get in touch with your local fire service to find out more!

With the weather heating up and daylight savings well and truly underway – it’s also a great opportunity to have the neighbours around and have a BBQ, maybe even play some games that will make the prepping a little more interesting. You could also bring along a belonging that you would quickly grab when leaving your home in a bushfire – try and make it something interesting!

Kids can get involved too, a show and tell where the kids tell each other about their favourite toys they brought along, and to encourage them to keep it in a spot where they can grab it quickly – just in case.

 Remember, this weekend is about having fun while you do your prepping. So try and get as many of your friends and family involved!

Happy prepping!

Canberra Burns

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As a proud Canberran living in Sydney, I know too well the jokes and criticisms Australians love to dish out against our capital and its people, some have elements of truth while others seem to have been pulled out of your favourite fantasy novel. And, like all Canberrans I take their gags on the chin with a sarcastic “ha, yeah…classic…” but the biggest joke on our city, isn’t even a joke at all – it’s not very funny to learn how little Australians know or remember about Saturday January 18 2003 – the day our nation’s capital burned. So let me fill you in!

In the somewhat close knit community of just over 320,000 residents (in 2003), finding someone more than 2 degrees of separation from you is a tall ask, let alone 6. And as such I’m sure all of us Canberrans know someone who lost something in those fires.

As a young, handsome kid of 14, I didn’t fully understand the severity of the situation happening to the west of the city that day. The fire-front was burning out of control through Namadgi National Park, with reports of burning embers landing on homes and lawns in the South West of the city. Residents of Tharwa were evacuated as the fire pressed down on the historic township, thankfully, no homes were lost.

Towards the afternoon, I remember walking outside and feeling the eeriness of the day. The sky was a deep orange, with the thickness of the smoke blocking out the intense heat of the sun, then shortly after the territory was in an official state of emergency, and it was then and there I realised the sheer magnitude of the situation at hand. Homes in Duffy and Chapman were alight by the early afternoon, with homes in Rivett, Holder, and Kambah igniting shortly after. Photos and videos from the day reveal the apocalyptic conditions fire-fighters and residents were battling in; embers and sparks poured across streets, with trees and homes too far-gone alight everywhere, and the sky completely blacked out.

The fires burned throughout the night, and at first light on the 19^th – revealed the tragic devastation they had caused. More than 500 homes were lost that day, and tragically, four Canberrans died. Canberra’s iconic Stromlo Observatory was also lost along with five of its historic telescopes and library of astronomy literature. Over ten years on, the scars from that day are still visible on our city’s landscape and in the memories of all us who call the ‘Bush Capital’ of Canberra home.

Below is an absolute must watch video from the fires in 2003, it provides a harrowing insight into what it was like during the devastating event.

Big thank you to Matt Walter, and all the Walters for that matter!

Black Saturday 2009

It’s been over five and a half years since the devastating ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires tragically claimed 173 lives and critically injured a further 400. Not only did the fire destroy entire families, but entire communities and towns in country Victoria, Australia. These images from that day pay homage to the lives lost and those communities who still endure today – their strength and resolve is truly commendable.

 

 Freakishly strong winds gusting at over 100km/h and temperatures soaring above 47 degrees Celsius combined to form some of the worst bushfire-weather conditions ever recorded.

The efforts by the fire services were immense.

That day will forever be etched into all Australians, but five years on, new life has risen from the ashes. Towns have been rebuilt, and communities reunited. And the spirits of the 173 forever home.

Don’t be an arsonist’s wet dream

With temperatures soaring across the country this week – the bushfire season has officially begun and already police have attended to dozens of sites where bushfires have been lit deliberately, further investigating even more. Alarmingly, these figures will only increase as the Summer continues, and emergency services will not be able to cope with every situation. This is why it’s so important for all of us, no matter where you live, to help our emergency volunteers as much as possible – to help our rural communities tackle arson and the devastating impact it has on our lives.

Australians love a holiday, and chances are most of us will enjoy the tranquility of the bush sometime this holiday season. Whether it be in our secluded campground, or New Years drinks at a friends coast house, it’s so important for all of us to be aware of our actions and the actions of those around us. If you see something, please say something. If someone is acting suspiciously in the area, please contact emergency services. If you can, try and note the description of the individual, focusing on their age, gender, height, build, hair colour and other distinguishing features. Also make note of any vehicles nearby and their registration, make, model, colour and any damage to the vehicle. This information could be crucial in an investigation into the fire. Also, if you see a fire burning in the area, don’t hesitate, contact fire authorities as soon as possible – every second counts.

Respect the conditions! A total fire ban means that absolutely no fire should be lit under any circumstance. By ignoring the ban, not only could you start a catastrophic bushfire endangering Australian lives, but it could also land you a fine of at least $25,000 and 12 months jail time – a large price to pay for some roast marshmallows. Even if there is no fire ban in the area, respect the conditions of the day – if it’s windy, hot and dry, don’t light a fire unless absolutely necessary (when you’re trying to make a smoke signal to be rescued from your deserted island). And use your common sense – make sure there are no overhanging trees above or nearby and that your fire is contained at all times.

Don’t be the 50%. This summer is going to be a doozy. So have fun, but be careful – our volunteers deserve as much free time as they can get. Always be aware, because an unaware person is an arsonist’s wet dream.

Preparing your home for a bushfire – My Top Tips!

This is one way to build a bushfire safe home…

As a victim of bushfire, I cannot stress enough how important it is to prepare your home and family for the event of a bushfire. While it may not happen this year, or the next – the day it does, your actions will ultimately decide how your home and family survive a bushfire. So please, have a look at these simple tips and get started today!

1. Know your risk. A common misconception about bushfires is that they only occur in the bush. If your home or property is near grassland, or paddocked areas – you are just as susceptible to fires. In fact grass fires can move much faster than bushfires and produce massive amounts of heat – potentially killing anyone in the open.

2. If you haven’t already, print/update your bushfire survival plan. Be sure to review the plan (it won’t take long), it’s extremely helpful even for the most seasoned of preppers.

3. Contact your local Rural Fire Service and arrange an inspection of your property, not only will they provide you with some specific advice on what you can do to reduce your fire danger rating, but it’s also useful for them to be familiar with your home and surroundings if they have to attend it in an emergency.

4.Weekend Prep Tips – In a bushfire many homes are destroyed through ember attack (embers carried large distances by the wind), these simple tips will help better protect your home during a fire:

• Clean your gutters, and if you’re feeling extra productive install metal gutter guards.
• Repair any damaged exterior surfaces on the house.
• Install metal mesh screens on windows and doors.
• Fit seals around windows and doors to eliminate gaps.
• Keep lawns short and gardens maintained, cutting back trees and shrubs and fallen leaves and twigs.

5. Understand the fire danger rating system to always be alert and aware of bushfire risk in the area.

Finally, get to know your local fire volunteers. They’re always hosting useful informational events and meetings, but you can also show your appreciation for the amazing work they do week in week out – and they do it for free.