Bushfire Season – How To Prepare Your Backyard And Property For Bushfires!

Bushfires are a common occurrence in Australia during the dry season and can devastate large area of bush land, bushfires in Australia have cause catastrophic damage to homes and taken lives in the past. Australian’s need to understand the risk of bushfires and the potential hazards involved living near bush land, SES and the fire brigade are well equipped to deal with bushfires but there are some things that you can do to help them and yourself, by reporting fires they can be deal with quickly and effectively most of the time but have been known to spread quickly in the right conditions.

Embers will help carry the fire further out from ignition point, often landing on homes and collecting in the gutters, window sills, accumulated debris, dead vegetation, timber decks, fences etc…

Being prepared during the dry season can potentially save your home and family, however you should never try to fight the fire and evacuate as soon as possible.

Planning ahead

To help avoid damage to your property, It is recommended that a Branch Management tree services professional is hired to check the condition of your surrounding trees, here the following preparations you should take before the dry season:

Cleaning out gutters as well as roof fittings since they accumulate debris and leaves which can catch and spread fire
Put your woodpile away at least 20m away from your property.
Keep your lawn well maintained and free of debris such as leaves ect.
On the approach of a fire wetting down your roof and around your property can help slow down the fire
Flammable materials should be stored in a separate building from the home, such as motor fuel, oil, paper recycling ect
Ensure that LPG gas bottle valves face away from your home and are stored a safe distance from the home
Ensure that your insurance is up to date and it covers bushfires
If you are renting a house in an area that is prone to bushfires, you should consult your landlord if there is inadequate preparation. If your landlord is not serious about the developments, talk to your local fire service and you will be assisted.
Think of a plan for evacuation and share the idea with people who are close to you.
Do not shelter in the swimming pool
Ensure your pool has water and may assist the fire brigade against the fire
Ensure you have a sound evacuation plan and you are ready to go at a moment’s notice, take only the essentials, but don’t forget anything that may hold sentimental value however have these items pre-packed
Branch management is important, be aware of surrounding bush land, remove fallen branches, dead branches from trees and branches that may hang over your property

Smoke Alarms

All homes should have a smoke alarm in Australia and be regularly maintained, when replacing smoke alarms, they must be of a photoelectric type which complies with Australian Standards.

From 1 January 2027 Smoke alarms in all dwellings must:

be photoelectric (AS 3786-2014); and
not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
be less than 10 years old; and operate when tested; and be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together.
Smoke alarms must be installed on each storey:
- in each bedroom; and in hallways which connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling; or if there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and other parts of the storey; and if there are no bedrooms on a storey at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
Smoke alarms must be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery.

The high ground isn’t always safer!

A bushfire will spread up a hill much faster than down a hill. A bushfire will double the rate at which it spreads for each 10 degrees that a slope increases.

At Branch Management we strive to offer you quality, professional and safe Tree Services Newcastle and surrounding areas with competitive prices.

Give us a call today

Phone: 02 4984 6996
Mobile: 0419 289 223

For more information about hiring the Tree Services team for the job – go to https://branchmanagement.com.au/contact/ or Phone: 02 4984 6996 or Mobile: 0419 289 223

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