Okay, guys. I’m going to get real serious for a second.

While we’ve all been enjoying the warm and often windy days of Spring this last week, we have also seen some humbling images of the bushfires raging out of control in the state’s northern towns of Tenterfield and Armidale - where conditions are dire, water is scarce and many have described the firegrounds as ‘nightmare scenarios’.

With 64 blazes burning across the state, 630 firefighters were deployed last Monday to help gain control as winds picked up - an unprecedented early start to the fire season with severe conditions uncharacteristic for September.

Yet, even after kilometres of fire front burnt tens of thousands of hectares, to date only 10 homes, 23 outbuildings and two car yards have seen damage from the blazes - thanks to the tireless work of the Rural Fire Service (stats were correct at time of publication). In Queensland, though, a harrowing 47 homes have been damaged by fire.

According to a report in 2014, more than 1 million Sydney homes stand to be affected by fire in some way, whether that be by flames or embers, should this fire season produce the conditions here that we are seeing up north. In 2016, it was reported that more than 100,000 homes in Sydney’s metropolitan area were situated in flame-zone rated areas.

Already the Rural Fire Service is heralding that with dry conditions over winter and not much rain to be had so far in Spring, we may see a very long, hot summer that will produce conditions ‘above normal fire potential’.

So, without causing alarm, what this all boils down to is: there are a lot of us in the same geographical boat and this season is going to be a hot one!

But don’t worry. We all love living near bushland and we’re not about to stop doing so - I mean how picturesque is it? So, the biggest take-home from all of this is that being prepared and having a plan for you and your family is half the battle, and it’s the best way to secure your home and future in the event of fire - plus it will absolutely give you peace of mind.

Over the weekend of September 14-15, Rural Fire Brigades around the Sydney region will be hosting their annual ‘Get Ready Weekend’ events. This is usually a fun time when you can come and visit your local brigade with the family (there are usually kids’ activities galore), get to know your local firies and also learn how you can ready your home for the fire season. Plus, some brigades will make Bush Fire Survival Plan packs available to you to take home and complete. 

In the spirit of the upcoming festivities this weekend and after this week’s sobering reminder, here is a very quick rundown of the things you need to think about and carry out to ready your home and family for the fire season ahead.

Prepare.

The first thing you need to do this fire season is make a Bush Fire Survival Plan for you and your family. This plan determines whether you stay or go, defend or leave early, if part of your family stays and part goes somewhere safe, what happens to pets, and outlines what you need to do to get your home ready, should you decide to defend. This handy resource will also get you thinking about the people you can rely on in a fire situation, who you can take refuge with, what to pack and how you get there, should you decide to leave early. Make sure you notify everyone involved of the plan. Also, have a back-up plan, such as a neighbourhood safe place, should you not be able to use certain roads in an emergency.

All of this will be determined in part by a few factors: if you’re in a flame zone or ember zone, the condition of your property, and the needs of your family - which the resource walks you through.

To make a plan, visit your local RFS this weekend or download it here. 

Once that is done, it’s time to move outside. To prepare your home for the fire season, here is a handy interactive demonstration of all the things you’ll need to remember.

Act.

When a fire comes, you got this because you already have a plan. Now it’s time to enact it.

What will influence the enactment of your survival plan and when will largely be determined by the Fire Danger Rating (FDR) at the time. The FDR is usually displayed on a sign somewhere in your local area and will let you know whether it’s best to leave or whether you will be able to stay and defend once fire is imminent. It’s best to consult this indicator, as well as your survival plan, to know how to proceed with what happens to your family and property.

An explanation of this sign is below.

Additionally, during a fire event (or anytime, really), make sure you stay abreast of news about the progression of fires by liking your local RFS pages on Facebook, downloading the Fires Near Me app for iOS or Android, tuning your radio to a local station and getting daily updates through the nightly local news. This should give you enough warning to proceed with your plan.

Survive.

If the conditions become catastrophic on the FDR, it’s always a good rule of thumb to leave early. If you decide you no longer want to defend your home, leave early. If you have young children and pets, they should leave early to a safe place. If you have prepared your home well beforehand, leaving early is sometimes the safest or only option.

When you are travelling to your safe location, always take note of closed roads and never drive toward a fire. If you are cut off from your safe location, always have a back-up neighbourhood safe location you can go to, such as a designated disaster or community centre.

Always tell the people who are involved in your fire plan about it so they know to prepare for you and to check up on you if there is a delay in getting to your safe location.

If you don’t live near a fire-prone area and don’t need a fire plan, you may still be impacted by smoke. If you have young children, asthma sufferers or elderly people in your care, poor air quality may affect them more than anyone else. Remember to stay inside, close windows and doors, and, if you can, put your air conditioner on to recycle. If you find smoke is too overwhelming for your family, consider moving away from the area until the air quality improves.

Most of all, you and the people in your care are more important than anything else.

In short, all you need to remember is: Prepare. Act. Survive. Make a plan, prepare your home, then act to survive when the time arises.

Stay safe, everyone! Enjoy summer, and get those kids down to the fire station this weekend. I can guarantee their eyes will light up when they see that big red truck - it’s an instant kid pleaser!

To locate your local RFS brigade and to learn about the closest Get Ready Weekend event to you, visit here.

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