Bushfire

Preparing for an emergency

Bushfire Safety 

The safety of yourself and your loved ones is the most important things to think about in the event of a bushfire.  The following resources will provide you with information that will help you stay safe. 

Plan to survive  

Preparing for bushfire means more than physical preparations to your house and garden.  It also includes having a bushfire plan that can be enacted on days when the fire danger rating in your area is extreme or catastrophic, or in the event of a bushfire. 

Preparing your house and your garden  

There are a number of ways that bushfire can damage or destroy house.  The most common is from embers landing on or near flammable materials around the house and garden and igniting spot fires.  

  • Ensure there is defendable space around your home. 
  • Vegetation Management Landscaping – Bushfire best practice guide (csiro.au) 
  • Check your water supply and make sure it is clearly marked. 
  • Ensure there is easy access to your property for emergency vehicles and equipment such a fire truck. 
  • Consider building improvements that make your home less vulnerable to ember attack. see Retrofits – Bushfire best practice guide (csiro.au) 
  • Clear out your gutters  
  • Remove wood piles and other flammable materials from around your home. 

For more information and videos about preparing your house and garden see Challenge 3 | TFS BRN (bushfirereadyneighbourhoods.tas.gov.au) 

Community Protection Plans – what are they? 

Community protection Plan provide information on how to prepare for and survive a bushfire, and how and where to get additional bushfire safety information.  The information is a critical part of a Bushfire Plan. 

To check whether there is a Community Bushfire Protection Plan for your area, go to Tasmania Fire Service