Rural Fire Service Guidelines for Protection & Prevention in Bush Fires

What can i do to help protect my property from bush fires?  Is there anything, when building a new house, that may help lessen the risk?

Fuel Reduction Plan for Your Property

Fire can not burn where there is no fuel.  The principle of all fire prevention planning on farms is:  reduced the fuel and the threat is reduced.  All assets – including buildings, fences and fodder reserves – need to have wide areas around them where the ground fuels of dry grass, dead branches and fallen leaves are reduced or cleared.

Plan to complete your annual fuel reduction program before the bush fire season begins.  Consider these points when making your plan:

§                   Take into account the prevailing winds experienced in your area during the bush fire danger season

§                   Place major fuel breaks on the northern & western boundaries of the area you want to protect.  You may place less emphasis on the other sides, but they still need fuel reduced areas.

§                   Establish wide lawns or cleared and mown areas around your home

§                   Completely surround all farm buildings with well cleared fuel breaks

§                   Take advantage of existing fuel breaks such as roadway, tracks and railway lines. If possible, extend the benefit these breaks provide by cutting, slashing or burning a strip of ground on each side of them

§                   Make use of dams and natural fire breaks, such as creeks, rivers and swamps

§                   Don’t rely on narrow fuel breaks to stop the fire.  In extreme fire conditions, windborne embers can blow across even wide fuel breaks

§                   Properly placed and well maintained fuel breaks will also improve access for fire fighting units

Making Fuel Breaks

There are a variety of methods that can be used to create fire breaks, including but not limited to:

Cultivation

Ploughing and harrowing can produce excellent breaks if established early in spring and later workings can kill all vegetation.  These may require constant maintenance.  Be aware however that the loose soil may erode in steep areas, particularly where there is high rainfall and strong winds.  Also check with Council as to whether or not they have a policy in place in regard to roadsides.

Grazing

Heavy stocking of selected areas throughout the spring is a very effective way to reduce fuel around buildings and fodder reserves.  This method can also be used to create low risk areas at strategic points around the property where livestock can be located for protection during fires.

Slashing or Mowing

Slashing is an economical method of fuel break preparation.  To be most effective, the cut material must be removed or allowed to rot down well before summer starts.  As sheep prefer eating mown areas, you can maintained slashed breaks by grazing.  Slashing may leave grass in rows thus increasing fuel in some places. 

Summer Fodder Crops

Green crops, such as Lucerne, provide excellent fuel breaks.  A household vegetable garden will help protect your home.  Plant fire resistant species around particular assets such as houses.  A list of fire resistant species is available from your local Fire Control Officer or local nurseries should be able to offer assistance.

Herbicides

Non residual herbicides can be sprayed onto areas where other methods of fuel reduction may be difficult, undesirable or even dangerous, such as around buildings.  Because they are only effective on actively growing plants, use them selectively after the autumn break or at the end of winter.

Burning Off

Burning off is a cheap and simple method of removing unwanted litter and fire hazards.  However, it must be planned carefully and carried out with extreme caution at the right time.  Otherwise there is a real danger that the burning off will get out of control. 

Protecting Your Assets

Livestock

The loss of farm animals can be most easily prevented by preparing and maintaining fuel reduced areas onto which stock can be moved and held during a fire.  This means planning to use fallow paddocks, well grazed smaller paddocks or raceways, irrigated pasture or summer crop areas.  Stock yards and holding paddocks must be fuel reduced, and where possible have shade and water available to provide emergency protection areas for valuable breeding stock.

Fencing

Fence lines are vulnerable to damage by wild fire and complete protection is not possible.  Damage can be minimised by having fuel breaks alongside fence lines and bare gaps at intervals underneath them.  For new fences use fire resistant materials and construction methods ie steel posts and use staples instead of boring holes in fence posts.

Fodder Reserves

Hay stacks, hay sheds and silos must be protected – the reserves they hold may be the only stock feed available after a large fire event.  Surround your fodder reserves with an area of bare ground at least five metres wide.  Maintain a fuel reduced strip 20 metres wide or more around this. 

Buildings

Farm buildings and sheds need to be protected by wide fuel reduced areas – as wide and clear as possible.  Keep trees from hanging over roofs.  Keep gutters clean by regularly removing collected leaves and twigs.  Where possible, stop sparks from getting into roofs and under raised sheds by boxing in eaves and extending wall cladding to ground level, at least on the northern and western sides.  Keep wall cladding in good condition and maintain a tidy layout around all buildings.

Homestead

A landscaped garden, vegetable garden, mown lawns, wide paths and paving all provide fuel breaks.  Shelter belts of large deciduous trees and shrubs can deflect and catch wind borne sparks: choose tree species that do not ignite readily or burn fiercely.  Do not allow vegetation to climb up walls, and do not allow trees to hang over roofs.

Keep the whole area around the home tidy and clear of long, dry grass and combustible rubbish.  Place the wood heap well away from walls and carports.

The survival of your home depends largely on preventing sparks from entering through doors and windows and under roofs.  Protect the windows with screens, seal all doors and external openings, keep gutters clean and install a good garden sprinkler system.

Protecting your Home during a Bush Fire

With your fire prevention work properly completed, you will need to decide whether to stay with your home or evacuate in the event of a bush fire.  Whatever you decide, plant for it before the bush fire danger period begins.  When action is required, follow your plan – lives are most often lost during unplanned, last minute evacuations.  Sometimes remaining in your home with adequate precautions in place, can be better than leaving, as spot fires can be extinguished before they take hold and cause serious property damage.  It depends on the intensity of the situation.

If instructed to evacuate by the police etc, go as directed

Water Supply

An adequate, reliable water supply is critical.  An independent reserve of at least 22000 litres must be held in storage, whether it comes from a bore, dam or swimming pool.  You will also need a reliable means of supplying water to outlets and hoses under pressure.  The electricity supply cannot be relied upon during a bush fire emergency, so it is essential to have a portable pump coupled to a diesel or petrol motor.  You should also make provisions for the rapid filling of fire fighting tanks – an overhead tank is ideal for this purpose.

If your farm/property is large you should have your own fire fighting unit, with its own pump and motor, hoses and water tank.  Keep this unit regularly maintained, with a careful check before the bush fire danger period begins – so is ready to be used when needed.

Personal Protection

When a fire approaches, dress to protect yourself.  Choose loose fitting overalls, or a long sleeved shirt and long pants.  Natural fabrics such as cotton or wool should be worn.  Never wear synthetics.  Wear wool or cotton socks, strong shoes or boots, and gloves, hat and goggles.  Above all cover up.  You must protect yourself from radiant heat.  Everything you were, including underwear must be made of natural fibres.

Sprinkler System

An extension to the garden watering system can be extremely valuable in defending the house, for example, large ground sprinklers placed on the windward side so that the roof eaves and verandahs can be kept wet will provide excellent protection in addition to other measures.  Sprinkler systems may need additional water supplies.

Communications

The greatest cause of confusion during a bush fire is lack of communication, when people likely to be affected by fire do not know what is happening.  To keep you up to date so you can make well informed decisions, use the local radio network – CB listening sets or public radio station.  Because electricity may be cut during a fire event, your radios will need to be battery powered.

Ember Attack

The greatest threat to your home will come from ember attack. Embers and debris will be thrown ahead of the fire for approximately 30 minutes before the fire front reaches the property.  During this period you may remain outside extinguishing spot fires.  It is also possible that spot fires will start inside the house.  Pay particular attention to roof spaces.

The second stage of ember attack will last for five to ten minutes as the fire passes the property.  Take shelter inside your home taking hoses and plastic tap fittings with you.  This stage will be very hot and noisy with low visibility due to the smoke.  This will be the most frightening period.  It is important you stick to your plan and remain calm until the fire front passes.  Again, be alert for spot fires inside.

The final stage of ember attack will last for up to eight hours.  Once the fire front has passed go outside and extinguish any fires.  Continue to monitor both inside and outside the property extinguishing any fires that may start.  If you evacuate the property and return during this phase you may still save your home as many structures are lost to ember attack during this period.

When a Bush Fire Approaches

As bush fire approaches final preparation work needs to be carried out.  Dress in protected clothing and listen to the radio for news of the fires progress.  Wet down the house and garden, particularly on the side from which the fire will approach.  Turn on sprinkler system if you have one.  Stop downpipes and fill gutters with water.  Fill baths, sinks and buckets with water – you will need these for fire fighting and drinking.  Place wet towels and blankets against gaps under doors and windows.  Close heavy curtains and shutters.  After the fire has passed patrol your property and put out any spot fires paying particular attention to roof spaces.

Advice on House Design & Construction

Burning embers blown ahead of a bush fire are the most common cause of bush fire damage to houses.  Burning material can lodge in cracks or crevices, blow into the roof space through openings, get underneath a house that has an open space between the floor and the ground, or even get inside a house through open or badly fitting doors or windows.  The strong winds that accompany bush fires can make the situation worse by dislodging roofing allowing embers to get into the house and set it alight on the inside.

Keep the exterior design of your house simple to avoid creating hard to get at spots where debris, such as leaves and twigs can get trapped on the roof, against the walls or under the floor.  These spots are likely to trap embers during a fire and are often the source of structural fires when the accumulated debris ignites.

Timber should not be used at ground level.  Any timber used in raised floors and flooring supports should be treated to a fire resistant standard.

Fit vents under the floor and in walls, eaves and roofs with spark proof metal screens.  Metal plates that can be fixed into place to cover vents in times of bush fire emergency will add an extra level of safety.  Fit external hinged doors with a spark proof metal screen door that covers the entire area so that burning material cannot blow in at the top or bottom.  Similarly fit screens to all windows and other openings.

Avoid decorative timber work such as trellises and latticework on the exposed sides of the building.  Timber balconies and verandahs can also trap windborne sparks, so keep to a minimum.

Roof design can affect the risk of bush fire damage.  A one pitch roof is the easiest to protect.  Roof valleys and features like dormer windows and skylights should be avoided if possible because they can trap both flammable debris and sparks.  If you do include these types of windows in your design, they should be made of wired or hollow glass in steel frames.  This will reduce the risk of flames penetrating through the window space if trapped debris does ignite during a bush fire.

Spark proof all chimneys and fit internal dampers to them.  Fit metal screens to your fireplace openings to prevent any sparks that may blow down the chimney during a bush fire from igniting the inside of your home.

Roof spaces cause particular problems.  Steel roofing materials is the safest under extreme bush fire conditions but corrugations in the roofing material can allow sparks to enter the roof space.  Gutters can be a particular problem because they tend to collect leaves and other debris that can easily ignite during bush fires.  This means that gutters need to be cleared regularly, and you may prefer to use well designed leafless guttering instead of traditional open guttering.  Gutters should also be designed and fixed so that fire can not spread from them if collected debris ignites.  Gutters should be capable of holding water once downpipes have been sealed.  Downpipes can be blocked in many ways including commercially available devices.  Flooding of gutters can help provide additional protection for your house during times of bush fire events.   Water overflow from gutters can also give some extra protection.

© 2008 Wakool Shire Council
This page: http://wakool.local-e.nsw.gov.au/faqs/pages/40537.html