Every year Western Australians lose everything to the fire they thought could never happen.
Take action now to prepare for the coming summer months. Fires do not need to be near you to burn your home. Homes lost by bushfire are more often lost due to embers from fires some distance away, landing in your property and setting leaves and other fine material alight.
Your best defence from becoming a victim to bushfire, is to ensure that you:
- Have gutters clear of leaves and other combustibles, that may be available for embers to ignite,
- Remove leaves or other dry material lying around that could be set alight by embers,
- Do not have trees or shrubs adjacent to, or overhanging homes, which may provide flame contact to your home (have a ‘circle of safety’),
- Have a family plan to include your triggers to leave, what you would take and where you would go, in the event that you home was no longer safe.
Any effort spent next weekend, will decrease the chances that a fire burning somewhere nearby adding your home to the list of damage. Work to ensure that it won’t be your family that suffers damage and/or injury. The hard and green-waste collections that are currently underway, provide the perfect way to get rid of any flammable material.
For more information, check the DFES website (dfes.wa.gov.au), or the Safer Community Network (www.scn.bunbury.com.au).
