Preparing Your House for a Bushfire

We should all take bushfires very seriously and here in Australia they are a very real part of life. With our long hot summers and natural bushfire season it is a reality that every Australian that lives near the bush needs to be aware of. Thankfully a little work will make your home much easier to defend from the fires either for yourself or for the firemen that may come to your aid.

Here are the steps you should take to prepare your property for a bushfire.

• Make sure your gutters are clean of leaves and twigs
• Repair any holes or damage to roof tiles
• Repair any holes or rust in metal roofing
• Install metal gutter guards
• Install a fire sprinkler system to the gutters
• Install or repair seals around roods and windows
• Make sure all taps around the house are accessible, cut back any that are overgrown and make sure that they all work
• Cut lawn all around the house and put grass trimmings in the bin or store them away from the house
• Remove all excess branches from trees especially those overhanging the house
• Remove all, twigs, leaves, branches and any other plants from around the house
• Move any wood, surfboards or any other flammable household materials from around the house
• Purchase garden hoses that will reach all the way around the house and spray attachments
•  Purchase adequate level of insurance for your home and contents

If you live near the bush and you have done taken all these steps in preparing your house for an approaching bushfire then you stand a much better chance that your house will survive it. Remember even with all this preparation this does not mean that your house is safe from a fire. Always remember to keep safe and protect yourself and your family before any property or belongings.

Last and most important

If you do find yourself in the direct line of the fire, keep calm and follow the instructions of the emergency services. They are your best hope for staying out of harms way and sometimes even the best prepared houses are no match for a strong bushfire.

Here is an article from the Rural Fire Service on preparing your home to give you some more information.

Here is a link to the bushfires near me website and the app for Apple and Android and the RFS on Twitter and Facebook that will provide you with updates on fires around you and what actions you should take.