I have been asked what is meant by ‘protective clothing’
for bushfire
home defenders, evacuees and shelters.
It is clothing able to shield your skin
from embers and radiant heat
Suitable coveralls can be found at disposal stores
e.g. ex-army overalls. Whatever you use, it needs a high neckline, no
waistband, long sleeves, firm cuffs, long straight-legged trousers neither
skin-tight nor flared. Shirts or pullovers need to be tucked into trousers, and
socks pulled up and tucked up over trouser legs so these are not loose and open.
If gumboots are worn, tie trouser legs over them, so embers can’t drop in. Do
not wear thongs or plastic shoes, flowing clothes, loose or cowl necks, or nylon
or polyester - even for underwear. For a nose cover, a non-synthetic scarf or
tea-towel can be effective, especially if dampened.
Absolutely basic is a strong, tightly woven pure
wool blanket
(it must be pure wool – no synthetic in it)
large enough to cover
you completely when crouched or lying down.
If possible, wet the part covering
your nose to filter smoke. It is not necessary to wet the whole blanket. The
only use of this is that it would cool you until it dries out. It is a myth
that you can be scalded by the steam from a wet blanket.
Keep these items in a satchel or bag and keep
it in an easily accessible place,
e.g. hall, laundry, or verandah cupboard.
Take it with you whenever you travel into bushfire territory.
The Personal Survival Kit is an aspect of bushfire safety I devised in
1964. I had been dashing from my home to stop a fire in our outer suburban
bushland from reaching neighbours’ houses. (It had been lit by children playing
with matches). As I ran across to it, I realised I was totally inappropriately
dressed, so as soon I I returned I gathered up these things, put them in a bag
in the shed beside the rake - and thought ‘I’ll never be caught again. My Survival Kit idea
was one of many first published in The Complete Australian Bushfire Book (1986),
which fire authorities have used ever since.
