Code red in VIC tommorow

Look, the police dont really have the authority to make you leave, it is a good idea to listen to emergency services personnel as they dont get you to leave for no reason, but you need to be clear it is your choice and accept responsability for anything that occurs if you are not adequatelly prepared. If you live in a high risk area have a fire plan in place and consider installing fire tanks or a pool so you can reticulate the house etc if it gets close.
A fire plan does not mean just stay and fight with a garden hose. You should have safe shelter, multiple large fire blankest, fire protective clothing, a comprehensive first aid kit with lots of burn dressings,maybe an air supply, food, water, utility equipment and supplies and an alternate escape plan. You also need to work in conjunction with neighbours etc to know and share resources. I would also be evacuating anything that is irreplaceable.
Me, personally I would pack my family, animals and irreplaceable items and leave. I would obviously come back to assist fire services or SES fight it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Its really only those living in rural or bushy areas that need to be on alert, although on live in the green wedge i am not concerned, my parents on the other hand 10 mins away live on 5 acres surrounded by bush.

---

YES, People in Canberra thought the same thing a few years ago.

Just seems that some people think its right to stay in there homes and fight the fire. personaly if every one was out of the area then it would make the fire not a human threat and so firefighters would not need to risk themselvs to save others. then they could properly fight the fire rather than worrying about lives in the area. I dont care how trained and competent you are at fire fighting and how much water and equipnment you have to fight a fire its pureley not worth staying. if were sensible and thaught of others you would be getting the hell out of there and if you must help the CFA be doing it on there terms not being a vigalanty and going out on your own.

My two cents worth

Cheers

Sparks

For those that don't know me, I've been doing this for 15 years and the reason I mention that is so you don't think I'm talking crap. Also, my comments are based solely on NSW, but are very similar over Australia.

There are the 6 ratings in NSW:

Low-Moderate;
High;
Very High;
Severe;
Extreme; and
Catastrophic.

Now how do these relate to our advice to the community. Basically it is all contained in the RFS website, especially in the 'bushfire survivial plan'. Please take the time to have a read of it as it contains some really good information and amy answer a lot of your questions.

From my viewpoint there has been a number of changes that we've made to training over the last 10 years - which has incorporated lessons learnt from Sydney, Canberra, Victoria and numerous other fires. The ratings above have been given the most publicity, but the other areas are the danger of smoke (being unburnt fuel) and what we call the 'urban interface' - which is where the bush meets the towns/cities.

The police are the ones that make the decision to evacuate, under advice from us. Do they have the power to remove you - well that's better answered by the police. But I don't think I'd be arguing too much with them if they were telling me to move.

The biggest point I'd like to point out please - we've worked out how to rebuild homes, replace properties, clean up damage - but once you're dead that is nothing we can do. :(

Cheers
Chris

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Its really only those living in rural or bushy areas that need to be on alert, although on live in the green wedge i am not concerned, my parents on the other hand 10 mins away live on 5 acres surrounded by bush.

---

Embers can, and will fly many kilometres. It only takes one ember in leafy guttering and the fire has spread.

Besides, a ferocious enough fire will keep spreading in an urban environment too, going from house to house, particularly if in close proximity.

This is not directed at anyone specifically, to think you are safe just because you don't live right next to bushland is pretty naive in my mind. I'd just get out anyway, what is a day, or a couple of days away from home really worth if it has the potential to keep you and your family alive?

Seano

mmm Code Red. better look up our official family fire plan...

"Turn Air Con up a notch" :D

just went outside before, doesn't feel 40s yet. (in melb) have there been any reports yet of fires braking out?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seano87

Embers can, and will fly many kilometres. It only takes one ember in leafy guttering and the fire has spread.

Besides, a ferocious enough fire will keep spreading in an urban environment too, going from house to house, particularly if in close proximity.

This is not directed at anyone specifically, to think you are safe just because you don't live right next to bushland is pretty naive in my mind. I'd just get out anyway, what is a day, or a couple of days away from home really worth if it has the potential to keep you and your family alive?

Seano

---

Yep and that is the point many miss, embers can start fires many kilometres ahead, so you dont actually have to be close to the main fire to be at risk. People should start preparing well ahead of the fire arriving.
We have been relativelly lucky in Australia not to have had fires in polpulous areas become super destructive. It is a matter of time though, just look at the US.
We still dont seem to learn though with the same mistakes and arrogance shown year after year.

Where is the fire?

This is all a load of crapp. We were affected from the fires last year in NE Victoria. I cannot see how see will work. Where are people to go? John Brumby's house?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dickyjoe

Where is the fire?

This is all a load of crapp. We were affected from the fires last year in NE Victoria. I cannot see how see will work. Where are people to go? John Brumby's house?

---

That part is wholey and solely up to you. The advice on a Code Red (Catastrophic) day is to leave early, however you can only do that IF a fire starts. I personally don't agree with leaving because of the chance of it - UNLESS it involves the elderly, young kids, national parks, OR if there is only one way in/out of your place of residence.


The advice that is getting sent out, is for basically freak weather. In which case we will not be able to stop it at all, and may not even be able to save houses. Our whole aim will be to prevent loss of life until the weather changes to something that we can deal with.

I`ve lived in the Dandenongs all my life so have seen a few fires.The last one was only a couple of k`s away.We were asked to (ever so politely) f@#k of as they were setting up trucks in the streets.Was a tough moment when you are leaving and don`t know if you will be back.Have learn`t a bit about the nature of fire since last summer.Scared me a bit too.Was doing community work in the Chruchhill area and learnt that the fire there was travelling at over 300 k`s an hour and that the fire was spotting up to 30 k`s away.Now given that our local fire was only about 2 k`s away it would have not taken that long if the fire got some speed up to give us a lot of grief.So I`m now a whole lot more interested in the fire warnings.Whife even before last summer fires and this summer has moved photos,documents and stuff to a safe place.Our house is not easy to defend,so we will leave if the need arises.There does need to be a bit of sensibility to leaving.Taking in the fact that we have had a lot more rain recently,so the ground and bush is a lot more moist,today the wife stayed home.But if in a few weeks and no,or little rain and another code red or worse then I`d be pushing for here to leave and I`m betting there would not be much pushing.If it was a weekend I`d be gone too.At least we have a place to stay.That is one area that the government has not addressed.Great to tell people to leave,but it would really help and encourage people to leave if they had some were to go,as not every one has a friend or family that is willing to take them in.But at least so far it`s all quiete.
Cheers Hall