The roof/ceiling space - an extremely vital bushfire-protection chore

Have you looked in your roof/ceiling space lately?  Ember ignition here during bushfires is a major cause of house destructions.

This Bendigo house was destroyed in 2009 when the bushfire's embers started fire in the roof-ceiling space. 

Before it gets too hot, shine a torch in there. Are ceiling and rafters coated with the  accumulated dust of years? This is highly flammable. Are there rats’ or birds’ nest? Old papers? Clean it out! If you  can’t physically do this yourself, there are firms that specialise in this. If you don’t have an inspection trapdoor, make one.

Crawl in and shine the torch up. Do pinpricks of light show through the roof? Bushfire embers could enter here. Solder or otherwise plug gaps in roofing metal; fasten and seal loose tiles.

These are extremely vital bushfire-protection chores.
 
The ceiling space is very vulnerable. A tile or galvanised iron sheet lifted by strong wind, a nail hole, a gap in the eaves, can let in flying sparks and embers.
 
Even a spark can ignite roof dust and eventually ignite rafters. Slowly and unseen, fire builds up, gases erupt, and up goes the whole roof space. This can take hours. It often starts after a fire front has passed, while the ember shower is still falling  If shelterers are ignorant of what is happening above them, a flaming ceiling collapses in. Too many bushfire deaths and house losses happen this way. They need not. 

                             The SA historic home, ‘Wolta Wolta’, destroyed on Ash Wednesday, 1983. 

While Wolta Wolta's owners rejoiced that the fire front had passed them by and were relaxing with a cup of tea, fire was stealthily building up in the roof space.

          Embers can’t penetrate roofs if you have continuous metal sheeting and/or roof sprinklers. 

      - best are low flow sprinklers. And have enough water to run them.
Fill cracks with Expanda Foam or a fire resistant expandable epoxy-type such as Nullifire.
Insulate above and below rafters.

     Insulate with mineral wool, fibreglass batts or aluminium foil laminate.

On the day:

Keep inspection door open, with ladder against it with a torch, and water in knapsack or garden sprayers, handy just inside it. And, of course, wear protective clothing.

What is 'protective clothing' for the householder?

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

First, it is not necessary to wear wool. In wool, your body can overheat and cause heat stroke. The main needs are: strong cotton drill coverall; strong cotton broad-brimmed hat that can be tied on; strong shoes with thick soles; a nose cover to filter smoke; and a flask of drinking water. These can be your personal survival kit.

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.

The current State Bushfire Safety Policy Framework states:  

“ A Code Red’ fire danger rating predicts the worst conditions for a bushfire, and all residents of high-risk areas are advised to leave the night before or early in the day.”

This policy is not possible to achieve: logistically, socially, emotionally or practically.

Exit roads can become death traps when spot fires spring up ahead of travellers and impassable with trees and bridges down.

For traders and businesses to shut up shop; for families to pack up and relocate infants, school children, aged parents and pets; for farmers to desert their animals; for doctors to abandon patients and for hospitals to outsource their ill, is not a workable solution.

There are many financially needy, aged and disabled rural residents who normally rely on others for transport. At a time of evacuation, the usual ‘lift’ may plan to stay and defend. Or, if evacuating, piled high as their car will be with their own family, pets and possessions, there may not be room for an extra person. Especially if they use a wheelie-walker or wheelchair. The planned destination of the usual ‘lift’ may not be that of the hopeful passenger.

What of hospitals nursing homes, gaols, animal sanctuaries, horse studs and vetinerary clinics - travelling in confined quarters for long distances on the hottest days, subject to death from heat stress? 

Will ‘evacuation of all residents’ include every patient from, every prisoner and animal? Or to will only the medical staff, prison officers and sanctuary staff evacuate –leaving their charges to their own devices?

Evacuation can be as dangerous as home defence, involving also risk of psychological trauma, injury and death. The loss of one’s home and all its contents involves severe and long lasting psychological trauma.

Black Saturday research findings facts:

·        Less than 1% of  Black Saturday evacuees were well prepared.

·        Over 3/4 of homes actively defended by householders were safely saved.

·        Over 2/3 of homes in the Black Saturday  firegrounds were not destroyed.

·        Vacated houses form the highest percentage of those destroyed.

·        Historically, more evacuees than house defenders have died during bushfires.