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| |Home|Fire
Safety| Living in the Bush on the Southern Tablelands| |
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Fire
Safety |
| Living
in the Bush on the Southern Tablelands |
| While
most older farm homes and many homes on small acreage blocks are built on cleared
farmland in the Sutton area, there has been an increasing tendency to build
on bush blocks. These blocks are often at the top of steep and rocky ridges,
the land being a bit rugged for agricultural pursuits, so that the issue of
house location with respect to the slope and prevailing wind, as discussed earlier,
is of particular importance. |
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| There
is potentially a greater risk to houses on a bush block in a fire situation
because of the possibility of fire crowning in the trees. This occurs when the
fire spreads, not by running along the ground, but directly through the treetops.
Not only does the fire approach from above, showering burning debris, but it
generates intense heat as combustible gases released from the trees explode
in mid air. Those news clips of melted cars and twisted metal building framework
so beloved of the TV photographers are generally the result of this kind of
fire. This occurred on the top of the ridge by Sutton Road in 1985 and a few
years later at Smith's Gap when some property was destroyed. It was also what
happened, in extreme form, in the January 2003 firestorm. |
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The
McIntyre's Hut fire crowns in the trees at Fairlight Station on 18 January
2003. Photograph
by Graham Scofield.
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| Probably
the most important management issue for a house on a bush block is the creating
of a safety zone that breaks the continuous canopy and will hopefully prevent
a crowning fire from travelling directly over the house. This may entail removing
some trees. While long grass may not be a major hazard on this type of block,
dry undergrowth and dead branches and leaves can provide an extra fuel burden.
An area of well watered lawn around the house can provide some protection, but
once again there are possible conflicts with water conservation issues. Those
advocating reduced water use tell us that a lawn is the most inefficient vegetation
to have. You just have to make a judgement based on your water available, the
nature of your block and what other risk reduction strategies are available.
Sure you didn't move up into the bush in order to demolish it, but a strategically
organised safety zone and some regular maintenance to remove fuel can make a
huge difference to the capacity of your home to be protected in an emergency. |
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Risks
on a bush block can be reduced by:
- ensuring
that there are corridors wide enough to break the tree canopy and also
to ensure access for fire trucks right around the house, with particular
attention to the windward side
- ensuring
that tree branches do not directly overhang the house
- controlling
leaf litter so that it does not collect under the house or pile up against
it
- regular
cleaning of gutters to remove dead leaves
- clearing
out areas around the house to remove excessive dead branches, dangling
strips of bark, dead grass and excessive leaf litter
- removing
combustibles such as the wood heap to a distance from the house during
the summer
- maintaining
some lawn around the house if the water is available
- planting
species of lower fire risk near the house, using lists supplied by the
local council, Landcare or various other bodies
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It's
handy to have the woodheap by the back door in the winter, but safer to remove
it down the paddock in the summer. Long dangling strips of bark like those
on the tree at left are a particular hazard if the fire is travelling through
the treetops. I'm not even going to tell you where I photgraphed that tree. |
| Planning
at the building stage is possibly even more important on a bush block than on
a grassland block, because of the extra risks. Ensuring that the location of
the house is optimal from the perspective of fire safety and paying attention
to the building materials and techniques is a valuable investment. Arranging
the layout with strategic placement of water features such as a swimming pool,
dam or even sprinklers so that they protect the most vulnerable side and are
available for firefighting makes a lot of sense. Planning patios or paved areas
into the whole design can also enhance the safety of the buffer zone. None of
this has to look like you're living in a bunker. You can incorporate it all
into a home beaut setup that would grace the cover of a magazine. |
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