Check your bushfire risk – and prepare!

Spring brings with it the start of Sunshine Coast’s dry season, but it also heralds the start of bushfire season.

It may have been a wet winter this year, but here on the Sunshine Coast all it takes is a week of warm weather for the ground to dry out and for bushfires to become a serious threat.

Instead of being taken by surprise, prepare yourself, your family, property and business, now.

Sunshine Coast Council’s Disaster Management Coordinator Jason Membrey said it was important for residents, no matter where they lived, to prepare their property and businesses.

“Now is the time to do your homework and know your risk, prepare your household and know how to protect yourself, your family and your property,” Mr Membrey said.

“A well-prepared home is easier to defend and reduces the risk to surrounding properties.”

How you can prepare

Simple steps like mowing your lawn regularly, trimming overhanging branches and getting rid of flammable items from around the house all helped to reduce risk.

It’s also important to make sure you have a bushfire survival plan and that everyone in your household knows what actions to take should a bushfire occur.

Residents in bushfire-prone areas should be self-reliant to ensure their safety.

Know your home’s bushfire risk

Your property is more at risk from bushfires if:

• You live close to bushland
• Your area has a bushfire history
• You have greenery within 20 metres of your buildings
• Your structures are built on a slope.

The Queensland Fire Department’s (QFD) website has a post code checker so residents can check their home’s level of risk.

Buildings

• Clear gutters and roof of debris. Installing gutter guards is recommended
• Check and maintain firefighting pumps, generators and water systems
• Enclose open areas under decks and floors
• Install steel wire mesh screens on windows, doors, vents and weep holes
• Point LPG cylinder relief valves away from your house
• Seal gaps in external roof and cladding
• Remove flammable items from your residence (furniture, woodpiles, mulch, hanging baskets).

Vegetation

• Reduce foliage alongside paths  
• Mow lawns regularly
• Remove excess flammable debris
• Trim low-lying branches to a height of two metres from the ground
• Improve firebreaks or conduct a hazard reduction burn.

Find out more about landholder clearing for bushfire management on the State Government’s website.

Access

• Ensure your house number is easily viewed
• Space for fire trucks to access your home should be at least four metres wide and high, and with a turn-around area.

Personal

If a fire is on its way, you may have as little as five minutes to leave your home safely.

• Have protective clothing and equipment for the whole family readily accessible
• Prepare your evacuation kit and emergency kit
• Check and restock first aid kit
• Check insurance policies for home and vehicles are current
• Make or update your Bushfire Survival Plan for your family
• Decide beforehand if you’ll stay and defend or go early for safety
• Note your  Neighbourhood Safer Place as a place of last resort
• Prepare your pets .

Contingency Plan

Bushfires are unpredictable and plans can fail. What ifs to consider:

• You’re away from home (work, school, shopping)
• You cannot find your pets
• You’re home alone
• You have guests staying
• Your travel route is cut off
• You’re trapped in your home
• You had planned to stay but it is now unsafe.

Landowners

Owners are responsible for managing bushfire hazards on their property.

• If a fire starts, you are legally responsible for taking all reasonable steps to report the fire and prevent the fire jumping to another property
• Prepare and plan for bushfire hazards by being aware of fire management issues in your area, particularly if your land shares boundaries with bushland
• Prepare and implement a land and water management system
• Before clearing your land, you should check which local vegetation protection laws apply in your area 
• If an officer becomes aware of a potential bushfire hazard on private property, they are authorised under the  Fire Services Act 1990  to undertake a site inspection to discuss what may be necessary to reduce the risk of bushfire.

Stay informed by visiting Council’s Disaster Hub and visiting The Queensland Fire Department’s website.

Preparing for bushfire season is everyone’s responsibility. 

By working together, we can ensure a coordinated, strong, resilient Sunshine Coast.