Knowing the location and direction of a bushfire – and where it’s likely to impact – is vital to the decisions that you will make next. A few elementary map reading skills will help you make safe decisions about where and when to go.
Stage Two – Should I stay or should I go?
In this stage we’ll cover topics including:
- how to make a really good plan to leave early
- what it’s really like to stay and defend your property during a bushfire
- the protective gear you need if you decide to stay
- where to find information you can rely on during a fire.
An old Blue Mountains legend tells of a woman who successfully defended her place armed with nothing more than a bucket of water and a mop.
Not an experience any of us would probably choose – but it does show that with the right preparations, and a dose of mental fortitude, you can achieve remarkable things without thousands of dollars worth of fancy firefighting gear.
Ultimately, the decision to stay or go comes down to your own health, confidence and level of preparation. Safety has to be your first consideration. In most cases, this means leaving early.
But where will you go and when? If you decide to stay, what is the experience of being in a fire like? Are you physically and mentally prepared to actively defend your property for a period of hours, and what equipment do you need to safely stay and defend?
Here are your Stage Two tasks:
Challenge Task 5: Take a Reality check
Knowing the location and direction of a bushfire – and where it’s likely to impact – is vital to the decisions that you will make next. A few elementary map reading skills will help you make safe decisions about where and when to go.
Challenge Task 6: Dress for success
Knowing the location and direction of a bushfire – and where it’s likely to impact – is vital to the decisions that you will make next. A few elementary map reading skills will help you make safe decisions about where and when to go.
Bush Fire Basics 2 – Fire Danger Ratings, Alert Levels and how to use that information
Knowing the location and direction of a bushfire – and where it’s likely to impact – is vital to the decisions that you will make next. A few elementary map reading skills will help you make safe decisions about where and when to go.