The lush green paradise when fire mitigation wasn’t even a blip on my radar!

When we purchased this property in early 2019 the ground was lush and green and fire mitigation was the furthest thing from my mind. Then the drought really hit, followed by the horrible fires across Australia in late 2019. There were so many things I hadn't contemplated when we bought this property. It was natural then for me to do what I do when I'm most anxious; I read and learn inane amounts about a topic until I feel less anxious about it. So while I am far from an expert on this and all my advice should be taken in tandem with actual expert advice, here is what we are doing to mitigate our rather large fire risk.

Learn about the risks

Arch Gully is on a slope, typically 17° or more. The most unnerving statistic I read while learning about how fires spread is "As a general rule, the fire will travel up a 20 degree hill 4 times faster than it does on flat ground."¹ ... Yikes. That means if we have a fire start in the Gully, we would not have a whole lot of time to react. Topography of the land aside the other factors that need consideration are fuel load, temperature, wind speed and humidity. Fortunately the latter aspects are usually calculated by the Bureau of Meteorology giving us a prediction of *if* a wild fire were to start how manageable it would be. This changes how we react to managing a bushfire and also influences our decisions around staying to defend our property or escaping to a safer area.

More controllable risks involve the fuel load, such as what trees we have on our property and how flammable they are, length of grass, down to how frequently we clean out our gutters.

Finally one of our biggest hurdles is around putting fires out. We are not on town water meaning there are limited options for firies to access water to put a fire out on our property.

Reducing the fuel load and creating a fire break

Mitigating risks

Fuel Load: We have some pretty long grass (guinea grass) on our property so a big part of mitigating our slope risk is keeping our grass at a manageable length during higher risk fire season to reduce the fuel load. We also keep our immediate area around the house sparse of trees to reduce the risk of trees or embers falling onto the house. This also means there is decent access around the house for fire vehicles as well. Trees that are around the house tend to be of the fire resistant variety with more flammable trees being kept further away.

Fire Breaks: Keeping the grass short helps create a fire break however we also are using succulent plants as an extra added fire break. Succulent plants hold vast water reservoirs, even in times of drought making them highly fire resistant. There has been stories of fires being stopped in their tracks during USA wildfires due to succulent gardens ². While this is not a method I would solely rely on, I think it’s an extra part to add to a large repertoire of mitigation techniques. We are choosing to use Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' further away from the house (due to its caustic sap risks) and Aloe arborescens ‘Candelabra aloe’ closer to the house.

House Protections: There are loads of things you can do to reduce fire risk around the house, we haven’t implemented all of these yet but in an ideal situation with unlimited time and finances we certainly would!

The first most basic and affordable step we have already undertaken is installing misting hoses around our gutters. This has the dual benefit of helping cool down our house on hot summer days (as we don’t have an air conditioner) and also putting out any ember fires close to the house that could easily smoulder into something bigger. To improve on the system we would love to have a gravity fed or diesel generator watering system, with a sprinkler installed on the roof and ideally no plastic components that could easily melt from radiant heat.

Stainless steel fly screens or external shutters on windows once again help in an ember attack as well as by reducing the radiant heat temperature which could potentially cause internal furnishings to ignite.

Fire Extinguishing Methods: For some people this will be as basic as having a smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and a fire blanket as they can rely on their local Fire Services to take care of anything larger. Where I live we have both Queensland Fire & Emergency Services (QFES) as well as the volunteer Rural Fire Service (RFS) however despite that awesome coverage I know people who still opt to have set themselves up with a ute with a pump and IBC tank to be able to mobilise and take care of small spot fires. Due to our steep slope I feel this would put us in a more dangerous position as we’d never be able to outrun the fire.

We focus on water supply as our main extinguishing method because we are a few hundred metres from the closest fire hydrant. As such we have a few water tanks that remain full with the entire purpose of being additional water supply. Longer term we plan on putting a concrete tank at the highest point of our property which would be readily accessible from the road with all the correct fittings to make it easy for the Firies to access it as needed. We are also hoping in time to create a dam as a further water source.

During a fire risk

Have a plan. Know well before the situation arises whether you will stay and defend (and what steps you would take) or leave. For us personally, we would take a few protective steps for our property and then get the hell out. With 2 young kids everything else is replaceable. We have our important belongings easily accessible and we would just leave. The part we still are working on is our bug out bags. A bug out bag is a bag you can grab quickly in case of an emergency. It should have protective clothing (jeans, boots, natural fibre shirts) some food and water, and we also want to have pure wool blankets in ours as in a pinch they can help as a fire protection item.

Prepare House Defences: If we were to have the time before leaving the property or if the risk is minimal so we decide to stay there are a few basic defences we would do.

Firstly we’d shut windows and doors, including internal doors, because if fire does get into one room, a closed door compartmentalises the smoke and fire, slowing the spread and potentially giving time to escape. It’s sometimes suggested to block gaps under doors with a wet towels or blankets.

The smell of smoke and a distant fire remind us to be vigilant

We’d plug the gutters and fill them with water. There are specialist gutter plugs available for purchase however also many DIY methods such as tennis balls (expanded with duct tape if required), pool noodles or even just a bunched up T-Shirt are also valid options. This helps create a water perimeter that won’t easily evaporate plus it also prevents ashes and debris from ending up in our water tanks after the risk has passed. We’d also turn on our misting system below our gutters as an additional aspect to the water perimeter. As an additional accessible water source we’d also fill the bathtub with water to put out close spot fires in case the power went out.

Remove anything flammable from outside the house such as doormats, shoes, and outdoor furniture to name a few.

If evacuating we’d turn off the power (and gas if applicable) before leaving and potentially leave a note on the door to say we have evacuated in order to save time for anyone who has been given the task of ensuring people evacuate. We’d also take what animals we could and open fences for the rest to give them a chance to escape. If you have pets make sure you have a carrier ready for them in bushfire season.

Last Resort: The safest option is always to evacuate far before this stage but what is the safest thing to do if you do get stuck in a bushfire? Typically sheltering in place and actively defending your house is the safest option at this point. Radiant heat and thick choking smoke are two high risk elements in this situation before the flames even get close. To help protect from radiant heat you want to wear natural fibre clothes leaving as little exposed skin as possible and find a sturdy solid barrier such as a brick wall ³. As the fire approaches when the heat gets unbearable move to the furthest room from the fire front which has an escape route. Keep doors and windows closed.

If trapped in your car find a place to park away from dense bushland and put your hazard lights on making sure to point the car towards the fire front. Close all the windows and vents, shelter in the rear foot well with a damp cloth over your face and under a wool blanket.

In Conclusion

There is so many aspects that can affect your fire risk and help mitigate your risks as well. This is far from a complete resource so definitely read more into it and specifically local area publications from the area experts. Make a plan and if it’s an option consult local services such as a rural fire brigade who can help you with your specific situation for the best fire plan. The best thing you can do is be somewhat prepared in advance and know your own limitations and when to evacuate.