A lot of the Central Coast is bush. Suburbs run up against national park, state forest and reserves, and plenty of homes and businesses have trees at the back fence. Warm, dry, windy weather turns that into a risk.
The authority on bushfire in this state is the NSW Rural Fire Service. Its website has the planning guides, the fire danger ratings and the current warnings. Nothing here replaces that. Treat this as a nudge to get started before the hot weather arrives.
Make a plan before you need one
The most useful thing a household can do is decide ahead of time what it will do if a fire threatens. The RFS has a guide for making a bush fire survival plan, and it walks you through the decisions that matter:
- whether you will leave early, and what will be your signal to go
- where you will go and which way you will travel
- what you will take with you
- what happens with pets, animals and anyone who needs help to move
- what happens if the household is split between work, school and home
Write it down and talk it through with everyone in the house. A plan that lives in one person’s head is not much use when that person is out.
Tidy up around the building
Getting a property ready is mostly ordinary yard work, done early:
- clear leaves from gutters and roof valleys
- keep grass short and rake up leaf litter near the building
- move firewood, timber and anything else that burns away from the walls
- check that garden hoses reach around the building
- make sure the street number is easy to see from the road
The RFS website has detailed advice on preparing a property, including what you can and cannot clear. Check there before taking out trees or vegetation.
Know where your information will come from
On a bad day things change quickly. Work out in advance how you will keep track.
- Learn what the fire danger ratings mean and get in the habit of checking them through the warmer months.
- Know where to find current warnings for your area.
- Keep a battery radio or a charged phone handy in case the power goes.
Don’t count on a knock at the door or a message on your phone. You may not get one.
For small businesses
A business near bushland needs the same thinking as a household, plus a few extras:
- decide beforehand what conditions will mean closing for the day or sending staff home early
- make sure every staff member knows the plan, casuals included
- keep staff contact details somewhere you can reach from outside the building
- keep copies of important records off site
- look at what is stored outside, such as pallets, packaging and gas cylinders, and move what you can away from the walls and the bush side
SafeWork NSW has general guidance for workplaces on planning for emergencies.
Where fire equipment fits
Extinguishers, fire blankets and hose reels are there for a small fire that starts inside a building. They are not bushfire protection, and they are not a reason to stay when your plan says go.
They are still worth keeping serviced through summer. Ordinary building fires don’t take the season off, and smoke alarms matter all year.
Leaving early
The RFS is clear that leaving early is the safest choice. Whatever your plan says, no building and nothing in it is worth a life.
In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).
For the bushfire plan, start with the RFS. For the fire equipment inside a home or business from the Central Coast to Newcastle, V&H Fire Group can help, and Byron is on 0483 371 134.
This article is general information, not advice for your building. For what applies to your premises, talk to us on site.
