Post by Joey on Jul 24, 2016 11:50:39 GMT 10
As preppers, we all want to get that bush block to be self sufficient and such. But moving into the sticks, we are now faced with a new threat, bushfires.
Having spent over 5 years as a rural fire fighter, I have seen many a fire come and go, even spending 3hrs at the front of an inferno when a 15m long dried wood pile went up during a routine reduction burn that showered embers like a fire storm over houses.
First step of all, is to step back and assess your situation.
-What is the geographical layout? flat? downhill? uphill? open? wooded? near natural water source? house material types?
-How close are trees to the house?
-is the immediate area (50m radius) around the house grass or gravel or paved or concrete?
-Do you have a backup water sourced such as tanks?
-Do you have LPG bottles hooked up to the house?
-What is the fuel load (leaf matter on ground) like around your property?
-Do you have fire breaks installed along fence lines and at various strategic paths around property?
Next step is to take all this information and make a meeting with your local fire warden. These guys and girls are your best contact person locally for bush fire related chat followed by your local brigades. They have trained and fought fires in your area before and can help you with any advice you will need.
They may advise you to fit 50mm male cam-lock fittings you the outlet of your water tanks for them to draw water from if needed.
If you have any overhanging trees of your house, get rid of them. If the council gives you sticks about chopping the trees down, turn around and give them stick about safety and such.
If you have grass in the 50m radius around your home, keep it green, keep it short. And when mowing, use a catcher and dump the clippings away from your house.
If you have the large LPG bottles connected to your house, practice disconnecting them, so you move them in a hurry, also consider building a firewall around them on the outward facing sides using fire rated bricks, to give a heat buffer around the tanks.
You main access roads, keep them well cleared to fire trucks can easily get down them, and clear any old trees and such that may easily fall and block the road in a big storm or fire. Also have alternative access roads into your property. This way if the fire blocks your main road, you have 1 or 2 more other ways to escape through neighbouring properties. Make a map of your roads, including water sources throughout your property, keep this laminated and handy to give to fire crews if and when they arrive.
Preparing a defence.
The immediate area around your house, or your house yard should have a good firebreak around the fence line. The easiest way to do this is with a grader, ask your neighbours of they have something you can borrow to cut firebreaks and offer to help them do their as well. If not, a team of 4 people can cut a break fairly quickly. The first person will have a brush cutter, next 2 to have rake-hoes and the last with a leaf blower. I have used this method to quickly cut a 2m wide break that way 600m long in an hour.
Next install metal sprinkler system at various points around your yard, especially the perimeter. Have hoses on all sides of your house that can reach around to put out spotfires. Install a sprinkler system to your gutter of your house. Use these to wet the roof down from embers. Also install a valve on your downpipes. When a fire is in the area, close these off and fill the gutters with water.
If you have town water into your property, also consider having a point that you can plug a petrol water pump into and close off the mains supply if you loose mains pressure upstream from your location. Have this pump connected to your alternative water source so you have a redundant supply.
Most importantly, know your limits. Have a plan to fall back when the fire becomes too much or when ordered by the authorities. You are only generally safe from a moderate bushfire. But an inferno like black Saturday and all the others, are not worth trying to fight. Make sure your house and contents insurance includes references such as fire, flood, inundation, bushfire, as the last thing you want after bushfire damage to your home is to be shafted by the insurance companies.
