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Grab those rakes and ladders
Flames, radiant heat, flying embers – fire has many ways to attack your house. The most powerful defence you have is to prepare your property so fire has less to feed on. Time to grab your rake and cut down the fuel load.
In this article we’ll cover
- 5 simple actions you can take to reduce fire risk around your house
- 7 common household hazards to prioritise
- some handy garden hacks to make your yard an ember-unfriendly environment
Embers cause major damage when they get into piles of leaves, or into soft furnishings via open windows. If they go unnoticed or unchecked they can quickly start a larger fires. In a fast moving bush fire embers rain down and squall around like an unstoppable blizzard. This video (an oldie but a goodie) shows ember attack on a well prepared and defended home in the Hawkesbury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfIRo92DyXA
The specific risk to your house will vary greatly depending on your location and surrounds, but no house in the Blue Mountains is immune to the impact of a bush fire.
Cleaning up the yard might seem like a mission. But a bit of hard work now will repay you many times over during a bushfire.
Very Important Announcement
If you’re not physically able to do this task yourself, on the next page we’ll give you some pointers on how to get assistance. Grab the tips on this page first then follow the link at the end.
Time to give your yard a makeover
We’ve broken down the task of yard prep into five simple things you can do before and during the bush fire season to massively reduce your ember exposure.
To get started you’re going to need
- an empty green bin
- a sharp pair of secateurs
- tough garbage bags or tubs
- some heavy duty garden gloves.
The photo above is the result of a couple of hours work for two people. A perfect excuse to get out in the outdoors this weekend, enjoy the fresh air and indulge in some therapeutic pruning.
VISUALS TO ADD IN HERE
Trim
Trim back branches overhanging your roof and gutters. Prune out dead and dry vegetation.
Clear
Remove all the debris and leaves from the gutters and valleys in your roof. Rake up piles of leaves and put them in the bin – green, red or compost.
Mow
Mow the lawn and clear up the clippings. Keep the grass and garden beds short and neat throughout fire season.
Remove
Move or dispose of material that can burn around your home -.wood piles, mulch and leaves, even door mats can be a fire hazard when a fire is approaching.
Prepare
Set up some sturdy hoses that will reach all around your home. Make sure you’ve got a reliable source of water. Ideally keep your hoses on carry hooks or reels so you can keep them out of the elements when not in use – and pull them into the house during a fire if you’re planning to stay and defend.
Celebrate!
Cheers to your hard work! (OK, so we forgot to mention the 6th task!) And here’s to a safe season for us all. Brag to your friends and family about how good your yard looks and how much safer we will be over spring and summer.
Reduce the Household Hazards
Here is a list of the 7 most common problem materials around the home. A single burning ember can ignite any of these:
- Wooden or brush fences
- Wood piles
- Dense, dry or dead shrubs and small trees
- Branches overhanging a building
- Leaf litter or piles of leaves
- Door mats and furniture
- Fuel and chemicals like paint cans.
Give these things special attention when cleaning your yard. As the saying goes, “If in doubt chuck it out”.
Clean out the chemicals
While you’re on ember watch, now’s the perfect time to clear out any excess chemicals. These can explode and let off hazardous gas if exposed to radiant heat. Grab a box and fill it with any of these that you’re no longer using:
- Paints
- Fuels and oils
- Old gas bottles
- Acids or other chemicals
It’s best to be minimalist with these things, if you don’t need them, take them to the tip for safe disposal. Anything you do need to keep should be secured in a garage or shed.
Just think how zen you’ll feel after getting rid of all that rubbish!
Garden hacks for bushfire safety
When you’re planning changes to your outdoor living space give a bit of extra thought to the following.
Mulch: Instead of using bark chips in your household garden beds, try using “living mulch” – groundcover plants like succulents, which are less combustible than traditional mulch .
Hedges: Awesome for privacy and blocking wind, but the right varieties can also slow radiant heat and embers – ask your local nursery for plant recommendations. Keep hedges trimmed, prune out any dead bits and keep the ground underneath clear.
Plants: Choose plants that are hardy and low maintenance for the area around the house. Keep a gap of 2 metres or more between the tops of shrubs and the lowest tree branches. Plants with large glossy leaves and smooth bark pose less of a fire risk, as long as the plant’s sap does not contain combustible oils – again, ask your nursery.
Trees: Before you plant a tree find out how tall it will grow and how long it will live. Keep taller trees with spreading branches at least 10 meters away from your house. If you are worried a tree might fall on your house, seek advice from a tree lopper. Restrictions apply to the removal of trees across the Blue Mountains- find out more on the BMCC website. If you are concerned about trees on a neighbour’s property you can report a bush fire hazard or get advice from the Rural Fire Service.
Wood Piles: Keep your wood piles neatly stacked, covered and away from your walls. Stacked between posts with a tin sheet roof or against metal fencing will work well. You need to be able to see if embers have gotten into it and be able to quickly contain or isolate it if the pile does catch alight.
Remember, it’s your responsibility to take care of your patch of our incredible Blue Mountains.
Need help with your Yard Blitz?
(Image of strapping deputy captain up a ladder ideally)
Click through to the next article for some helpful resources and people who can lend a hand. Because not all of us look good up a ladder.