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Post by spinifex on Dec 10, 2017 9:32:29 GMT 10
An oldie but still the best footage of what its like being in a big fire on a bad day. The visuals reminds me of our local (Eyre Peninsula) big one back in 05 when we defended own home and several others under similar conditions. We had wind so strong it peeled part of the roof off the stables before they burnt down.
Knowing how a big fire looks from within is a good way to sharped up your plans. Just wish video could relay the radiant heat and almost unbreathable air.
go to 12 min -14 min if you're time poor.
Don't try driving around in a fire ... it's crazy dangerous. Either get out an hour (or more) in advance or dig in and defend. Many people die in ill-conceived last minute getaways because they crash into things or come across blocked roads. When a fire is big and close day becomes night and with plenty of wind blown ash/dust visibility can drop to just a few metres. (The visibility in this footage is surprisingly good compared with some other fires I've been in.)
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grumble
Senior Member
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Post by grumble on Dec 11, 2017 7:23:03 GMT 10
People underestimate the power of fires until they have experienced a real one 1st hand and for some sadly its the last thing they experience
I have a an in depth fire system at home with many different tiers of passive to active protection but even then on a black or catastrophic warning day we are not staying and leaving the night before in advance
Around the house we have a cleared zones and within those zones we have planted naturally fire resistant plants like pigweed and aussie wanderer they act as ember traps and have an endothermic reaction when burnt so they slow the approach of the fire sort of like speed bumps
Then there is the green zone around the house where grey water is used to irrigate the trees and lawns
then finally there is the active protection which includes
sprinkler system on the outside of the house
Multiple sprinklers on risers to soak the ground in advance to slow the fire
1inch hose points for fire hoses to connect to in a ring around the property perimeter with hoses and nozzles for each point
Then there is 75000L of water on hand supplied by a honda pump and 3 electric pumps with genny back up
all of this feed a buried 2 inch pipe line the loops around the perimeter
as for PPE I have that covered a well
but I still am not staying on a black day or catastrophic conditions
here is a good video of the professionals at work and why driving is bad
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Post by spinifex on Dec 11, 2017 17:33:45 GMT 10
We are in reasonable open country and defend using 50 000l of tank water with manual hosing and well mowed grass. Diligent about keeping gutters clean and not letting bird nests get built in shed trusses or eaves of the house - a constant war with the sparrows and starlings.
Our house is raised timber frame so its basically a bonfire waiting to happen if fire gets underneath it. The drill we have is to float horses and evacuate them to the beach. The other car is taken out of shed and parked in middle of gravel driveway. Then I hose down the underside of the house by taking off removable panels. Gutter plugs go in and gutters are filled. Dog comes in and is locked in bathroom. chooks get locked in the night roost. I put the hoses on mist and fog the insides of the sheds to make surfaces damp and raise RH enough to make ignition of things inside the sheds by invading embers more difficult. Gardens get hosed down intermittently until ember attack intensifies. Then it's inside, wait for ember attack to peak and diminish then back out to mop up. Frequent checking of sheds and roof-space.
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Post by Peter on Dec 11, 2017 20:03:48 GMT 10
...Diligent about keeping gutters clean and not letting bird nests get built in shed trusses or eaves of the house - a constant war with the sparrows and starlings. That's a crucial issue. I did an insurance quote at a house in Stoneville some years back - that's an area built in native forest in the Perth hills. A bushfire had moved through their backyard some time beforehand and water bombers put it out mere metres from their house. People died in that fire, and many houses were destroyed. This quote I did was in the middle of summer - and it gets mighty hot & dry in that area. The clown had house gutters, and a strip gutter in their driveway, that were completely over-full with dried leaves & twigs. There were bushes right up next to the house, with dried organic matter in a thick layer over the gardens, driveway, garage, patio, etc. A pile of dead - and dried - gum tree branches with leaves were piled up against the house. If an ember - or a cigarette butt from a passing car, a spark from a power tool, or any other source of ignition - had landed anywhere on this property it would've started a fire quickly. It would have spread rapidly in those conditions. I mentioned the flammable matter to her, but her reply was along the lines of "we've already had one fire, so I don't think we'll get another one". I am amazed at the stupidity, ignorance, and arrogance that leads someone to live in an area which had recently had a major catastrophic bushfire without any care being taken to maintain their property. If they want to die in a fire that's one thing. But neighbours would be burnt out in no time, and firefighters would risk their lives to fight it. Thanks for creating this thread spinifex. Even those of us living in the suburbs need to be aware of the potential dangers of fire taking hold. |
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Post by SA Hunter on Dec 23, 2017 19:58:45 GMT 10
Ditto - great thread.
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