Fire Safety
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| |Home|Fire Safety| Buying a Block and Setting Up House| | ||
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Fire Safety |
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| Buying a Block and Setting up House (2) | ||
| When it comes to water supply for your new rural residence, some conflicts are developing between fire safety and water management issues. Those concerned with fire management are telling us we must have abundant water available for firefighting. Water management authorities are telling us we must restrict the amount of rainwater we store in dams on our property. Last heard, it is actually impossible to fulfill the requirements of local councils for firefighting and the restrictions of state government for water conservation if your block is under 10 hectares. While they work that one out among themselves, we have to do the best we can and take the best possible precautions. | ||
| If a fire comes through your property, you will really feel the need for a water source which is not dependent on the need for electricity, as safety considerations mean that the electricity may be turned off in a dangerous fire. If you have a permanent above ground source such as a dam, creek or waterhole then it makes sense to locate the house reasonably accessible to this source. If it is fenced off to keep the stock from paddling and piddling in it, ensure that there is a big enough gate, good tracks and access for fire trucks to fill up. In an emergency your domestic water tanks may be pillaged if necessary to protect your property, but I'm sure you won't mind that under the circumstances. If you have a Storz fitting on your domestic water tank then the trucks can load water faster and more efficiently. | ||
| A final consideration for planning your rural hideaway is the provision of clearance around the house for fire safety purposes. Now you probably didn't come out to the bush in order to live in a vast open paddock devoid of shelter or birds, but there has to be some sort of balance between enjoying the bush, protecting the house from risk and providing access. There need to be some zones of clearance so that your house is not enveloped in a continuous crown canopy of trees. If a treetop fire has to run along the ground before it gets to your house, you have a better fighting chance than if it explodes in the air above you. Access routes should be large enough that fire trucks can get around all sides of your house and outbuildings. That doesn't mean you have to live in the middle of a giant driveway with no garden, but there must be some sort of route around. And if you have an ancient and giant heritage yellow box or two on your property, you will appreciate them much more if you don't build right underneath them. | ||
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