Tonight’s fire authority news communiqué:
to prepare
evacuation plans from grassfires,
is as dangerous as it is ridiculous.
The danger to people from grass fire comes from the radiant
heat of its flames, not from any great likelihood of house ignition.
Grass fires start unexpectedly, and move quickly. Even in
mild weather. It will be impossible for any household to plan to leave home at
the recommended safe time: the night before (or even early in the morning
before) a grass fire threatens.
Residents leaving their house when a grassfire is approaching,
especially if lightly clad,
risk almost instant death from radiant
heat.
What is needed during grassfire threat is shelter from exposure
to its intense flame front. Staying put
in the house can give that.
In the vast majority of situations, homes can be safely
protected from grassfire.
Their wind-blown embers seldom land further than 100 m
ahead. Unlike the high-flying embers or fire-brands of a forest fire, these
glowing seed-heads do not have the power to readily enter and ignite a house.
A house is highly unlikely to be ignited by a grassfire
unless two avoidable factors exist:
* flammable plants growing against flammable cladding;
* considerable height
of the burning grass.
Both these factors can readily be counteracted by residents
and municipal councils.
For those who do not wish to actively defend their home,
their safest action is to shelter by an door that exits form the side of the
house away from the approaching grassfire.
Both shelterers and defenders should be equipped with the
personal protection of strong, cover-all clothing and a heavy-duty pure wool
blanket.
Your plans for safety from grassfire should include
cutting or poisoning adjacent grass, and removing flammable vegetation from
alongside the house.
Plans for safety from any kind of bushfire include making
sure that - for every day of summer - water is available for deployment to all
sides of the house; that protective clothing is conveniently ready to pull on;
and that each person makes themselves as knowledgeable as possible about safe
reaction – whether for evacuation, defence or shelter.
Essential Bushfire Safety Tips
details all the hazards of, and safety action to take, during grass and forest fires
