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!

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!

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.

Why ignite change? My story

All that remains

This is my home. Not simply the place I grew up in, or lived in for however many years. This was where I was most comfortable, where I could always be myself, and where I could always be free. Away from the pressures of life and a sanctuary of everything that made me who I am today. SeaView was so much more than just a house to all my family – it was our home.  And now it’s gone.

Like all bushfire victims who have lost everything, that day will forever be etched into my memory. It was a 40+ degree day on the south coast of Australia, about 8 kms out of Merimbula. Winds were gusting above 80km/h and in combination with the extreme heat, conditions were terrible. All it would take was a spark and the bush was up in flames. Powerlines running adjacent to our property arced and ignited the bushland below. Had the shrubbery and undergrowth been regularly trimmed, as it is required to by the electrical company, the resulting devastation may never have occurred. Within minutes the fire was out of control and accelerating east – away from SeaView, but as the winds changed in the afternoon, it was headed directly towards our home. The fire was burning so hot and so           intensely that the RFS couldn’t get near the property and could only move ahead of the flames. They moved onto other homes in the fire’s path and managed to save all homes from seemingly imminent destruction.