Strong winds, high temptures and low hummidy forecast for Tuesday in Sydney and the Greater Hunter have forced authorities to issue Catastrophic Fire Danger warning and enforing a total fire ban from midnight tonight.
Are you prepared for the worst?
Now is the time to think about your fire plan and how you are going survive if the worst hits your neighbourhood, will you stay and defend? Or will you leave?
Planning to Evacuate
If your plan is to evacuate during a fire emergency it’s best to leave as soon as possible, do not wait to leave as this could see you trapped in your car. The safest place to be in a bushfire is somewhere else, here’s is our tips for a safe evacuation.
- Have somewhere to go, a friend or relatives place or evacuation center
- Ensure you know every possible route you can take as we don’t know where the fire is coming from or heading to at this stage.
- Leave early do not wait.
- Ensure emergency services have clear access to your property.
- Ensure your pets accounted for and ready to be transported, locating pets in a fire storm is dangerous.
- Ensure mobile phones are charged and keep up to date using fires near me app
- Listen to local abc radio station for fire updates
- Leave immediately if you get the emergency sms message to leave.
Stay and Defend
If your plan is to stay and defend your property, you better make sure your property is well prepared and defendable but it is safest to leave, here are a few tips to help defend your property.
- Ensure all hoses are in good working order.
- Wear long sleeve cotton shirts and pants with leather shoes.
- Ensure you have plenty of drinking water.
- Ensure all gutters have been cleaned.
- Ensure your first aid kit is fully stocked up.
- Remove all gas bottles from around the house.
- Ensure all pets are safe or relocated before the fire front hits. (If there is time)
- Remove all curtins from windows and move any furniture to the centre of rooms.(once again if you have time)
- Block your down pipes and fill your gutters with water
- Ensure emergency services have can access your property, front n back
- Inform your local fire brigade of your plan to stay and defend.
It is safest to Evacuate and leave as soon as possible but if you choose to defend your property please stay safe and only defend if your property is defendable.