Leave or Stay?
| It's your decision... |  | Bushfire Safety |
| When making a decision about what you will do if there is a bushfire in your area, the first and most important thing to decide is whether you intend to stay with your home. In Victoria our legislation declares that it is the right of each resident to decide for themselves whether they will stay and defend their property. The Emergency Management Act and the Country Fire Authority Act give residents the right to stay with their homes in a bushfire. As long as a resident has a financial interest in their home, no emergency service has the power to compel that person to leave. Note however, that once a resident has left his or her home or if he or she is away from the home at the time of the fire, that person can be legally prevented from returning to the residence by Police. If you decide to leave home you must do so before a fire threatens and road travel becomes hazardous. If a fire is burning nearby, late evacuation is a deadly option. If you are well prepared for a bushfire and are physically able to protect your house once the fire has passed, you have a very good chance of surviving by remaining with your home. | Are you at risk? Leave or stay? Protect your property Protect yourself Make a bushfire plan In the event of a fire Essential equipment Campfires & barbeques Don't get caught in a bushfire |
During bushfires, a house may catch on fire by sparks and embers lodging themselves in wall vents, on window ledges, under floor boards, in roof gutters, on the roof, and nearby bushes, grass and leaves catching fire.
Some houses cannot be saved in a bushfire by the occupants alone.
This can depend on:
- the house design
- position of the house on the land
- types of plants close to the house, and
- adequate access to a water supply.
Late evacuation is a deadly option
Experience has shown that many residents receive little, if any, official warning of an approaching fire. Will you have time to leave the area safely? Will you know in which direction the fire is travelling? Don’t risk being caught on the open road in your car or worse, on foot.
The vast majority of deaths in bushfire involve people caught in cars or on foot. Once the fire is close, visibility will be very poor and travel will be hazardous. Your house offers better protection from radiant heat than your car.
Fallen trees, power lines, abandoned cars or even firefighting vehicles may block roads.
Whatever your decision, it is essential that you and your home are prepared to withstand a bushfire. If the fire is upon you before you can safely leave, you might be forced to shelter in your home.
How safe is your home?
A home is far more likely to survive if able-bodied people are there during a bushfire because they can quickly put out small outbreaks on or near the house. However you need the proper equipment and to be mentally and physically prepared to fight the fire.
More importantly, your house and its surrounds have to be prepared well before the day of the fire threat - preferably before the start of the fire season.