Homeowners living in bushfire areas should now reduce fuel loads to keep their families and properties safe for the summer, the Country Fire Service has said, with a local resident warning those who have been unaffected for a while not to become complacent.
Leah Bertholini, 48, acting director of the Country Fire Service community and risk and resilience, said while this upcoming bushfire season did not look more worrying than normal, people needed to be prepared for the worst if it did happen.
Lyndon May is cleaning up his Cudlee Creek property. Photo: Brett Hartwig
“We’ve had some good spring rains, so things are still green, and that may be making people a little bit complacent about their preparation, but that’s going to dry out quite quickly now and we’ll get some warm weather in November and December, some warm winds, so the healing will happen quite quickly.
“People need to think about how they are going to clear and clear vegetation before summer arrives and it is too late.
“They should be well on their way with their preparation.”
MORE NEWS:
Australia’s home loan record of $660,000 is forcing first-home buyers to reconsider
The statistic that should terrify all homeowners
Southern Ocean Lodge link to Adelaide development revealed
Shocking result as the council forcibly sells 57 properties to recoup unpaid rates
How much did this £100 Adelaide house just sell for?
How a simple change in the supermarket can get you home faster
She said homeowners should remove all flammable materials within 5 feet of their home, maintain pathways around the home, remove winter firewood storage areas from near the home and patch gaps around tiles and windows that could be susceptible to ember attack.
“If a fire breaks out and it’s too late to leave, a well-prepared home is the safest place,” she said.
“Your plan shouldn’t be ‘we’re just not going to be here’, your plan should be ‘we better prepare in case we have to take shelter here’.”
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Firefighters are battling a bushfire at Sampson Flat after the fire threat was downgraded from a Watch and Act warning. Image: 7NEWS
Her warnings struck a chord with many: the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfire destroyed 383 homes in South Africa, the 2015 Sampson Flat bushfire to 38, and the 2019 Cudlee Creek bushfire 85.
Cudlee Creek resident Lyndon May, 54, lost two sheds and burned down to the porch of his home and said fuel reduction was the first line of defense.
“Unfortunately, it grows quickly when the grass starts growing and we get the warmer weather,” he said.
Lindon and Rachel May are tidying up at their Cudlee Creek home. Photo: Brett Hartwig
“So from one week to the next you can go from being quite safe to suddenly having some decent growth, so the buzzing of lawnmowers and lawnmowers has probably been going on for a month now and then you hear them coming again as the regrowth happens, especially with the moisture we’ve just had, so it’s just that constant preparation.
“Five years is a long time since the last time, and the important people remain prepared and up to date.”
MORE NEWS
How much you need to save to buy in each Australian suburb
How much did this £100 property just sell for?
Block fever causes a mad rush to dilapidated houses
Property on an Aussie island is selling for a bargain, but there’s a catch
Jules Kemenyvary set up a bushfire ‘phone tree’ in Cudlee Creek – where neighbors provide updates on fires they have spotted, sometimes 20 minutes before an official notification is released – after moving to the Hills from the suburbs in 2012.
She said it was important that those turning a tree into a bushfire zone during the Covid boom understood the risks and were prepared for them.
Flames burn just off the South Eastern Freeway near Hahndorf during the Ash Wednesday wildfire of 1983. Photo by staff photographer Tony Lewis
“It’s not just about keeping themselves and their property safe, it’s about staying informed about what’s going on as it unfolds and making the decision to go if necessary,” she said.
“It is imperative that they know what to do and how to communicate it to others at that moment.
“People with animals should have a plan and make an overview of what will happen in the event of a fire.”
The Adelaide Metropolitan and Mount Lofty Ranges districts’ fire season starts on December 1, while Kangaroo Island’s started yesterday.
What you can do now to prepare your property for forest fires
* Cleaning gutters
* Clean up dried leaves
* Reduce vegetation within 20 feet of your home – ie. mowing, brush cutting, felling
* Fill gaps in the house where embers can enter or linger
* Remove dead branches, leaves and undergrowth around the house, especially under trees.
* Prune tree branches less than 2 meters from the ground or overhanging your house
Remove vegetation within a radius of 5 meters, as well as any sheds or garages.
* Make sure your hoses are clear enough to reach anywhere in the house
* Plant less flammable vegetation with low oil and high water and salt content.
* Check and maintain all mechanical equipment, including grass cutters, water pumps, sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers.
* Prepare/check your emergency kit.
* Review, update and practice your Bushfire Survival Plan.
#Bushfire #zones #homeowners #summer #arrives #realestate.com.au