By Cindy McLeish
Do you have a fire plan? It is important that you do and that it covers what you should do in an emergency, including thinking about your kids, your pets, your horses etc. Do you know where your Neighbourhood Safer Places are? Is your fire equipment working? Do you have an evacuation route and know when to go?
It is well known that some areas of our municipality have limited road access in or out, which can be a challenge. Having a plan and thinking ahead around these things will help you should a fire event occur.
The commencement of the fire season in our area is fast approaching. It is therefore time for everyone to prepare their properties and their fire plans to ensure that they are ready for the season ahead.
The outlook for the upcoming summer period paints a dire picture of a dry hot summer coming. Should this be the case, I hope we do not replicate any of those seasons in the past where fires have ravaged large areas of our landscape. Black Saturday hangs in our memory along with more recent fires in Gippsland. Not to mention the large number of fires that Queensland just experienced. Surely that alone is a stark reminder for all of us to act now.
There are many things people should be doing around their homes and properties to prepare and stay safe. Firstly, the all important clean up. Keeping grass short and removing leaves and twigs from areas around you home are critical parts of the regular maintenance regime. Managing trees and branches that are close to your house is also important as is cleaning out your gutters. Gutters are often out of sight and out of mind, so placing them on your ‘to do’ list is critical as this can be a source of fire entry into your home in the event of an ember attack.
Remember also that if you need to burn off around your property, make sure you have registered by calling 1800 668 511 and that you comply with CFA and Council requirements. Check the forecast, the fire rating and any restrictions that apply to your area and let your neighbours know.
To find out more about how you can prepare, the CFA website has plenty of resources to assist you. This includes the locations of all neighbourhood Safer Places.
Finally, I would like to continue to acknowledge the tremendous role the CFA volunteers do within our community. Our firefighters’ efforts are second to none. Battling fires and caring for their local communities is selfless work so let’s all help make their jobs a little easier this summer.
