Why do I need to be prepare for bushfire season?
Bushfires are unfortunately a fact of life in Australia. They can be unpredictable, uncontrollable, fast moving, catastrophic and deadly.
The 2019 – 2020 Black Summer was one of the most intense fire seasons, with over 3500 homes lost and 34 fatalities. In WA, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires destroyed 71 homes and damaged 39, putting 14 people in hospital.
If you’re in a bushfire prone region, preparing is essential. In addition to creating a bushfire survival plan, you need to prepare your home and property for the bushfire season. Having a packed, ready to go bushfire emergency evacuation kit is a must.
This will ensure that when it’s time to leave, all you need to do is grab the bushfire emergency pack and evacuate.
Essentials you need in a bushfire emergency survival evacuation kit
So, what exactly do you need in you pack? Here’s what we have in ours.
A large, comfortable to carry backpack. You won’t know if roads will be closed and if you need to trek on foot.
Communication
- Portable radio – ideally a multi powered radio that not only runs on batteries, but by hand crank and solar panel as well. This will help you stay up to date with important updates.
- Power banks with charging cable – keep your phone powered to keep lines of communication open. Battarix, an emergency phone charge card with inbuilt lightning and USB C charging cable.
First Aid kit and Medication
- First aid kit – ensure it covers basic cuts, as well as burn gels and bandages.
- Medication - if you regularly take medication, keep a week’s worth available.
Lighting
- Headlamp – a source of light if needing to evacuate in the dark. A head light frees your hands if you need to move obstacles out of your way/carry things.
- Spare batteries for your light source.
Food & Water (72 hours worth)
We recommend 72 hours worth of food and water for each person.
- Bottled drinking water – a ready source of supply of potable water. You won’t know what amenities are destroyed or how long you’ll be stranded for. We recommend PuraVai. They are in heavy duty, food grade HDPE. Due to its sterilisation process, it’s 100% bacteria free, with a shelf life of over 20 years.
- Shelf stable food – Emergency food rations are especially formulated and packed with essential vitamins and nutrients with much needed calories in a compact bar. They also don’t require refrigeration, with a 10-15+ year shelf life, like the Convar emergency food ration bars.
PPE, protective tools
- Goggles which are specially designed to protect your eyes and dispel smoke
- Mask to protect your breathing. There are P2/N95 masks, but we highly recommend the Fair Air masks. They are use alpaca wool, are reusable, washable and a better fit around your face.
- Wool Fire Blanket. Wool is a natural fire retardant. Not only can it protect you from fire embers as you evacuate, you can also use it for comfort and warmth.
Personal Items
- Important documents – insurances, important photos, insurances, deeds, etc in a waterproof bag, digital copies on a USB stick and/or uploaded to the cloud
- Cash – powerlines might be compromised. With electronic banking systems compromised, cash in smaller denominations is a good back up
- Change of clothes – a fresh change of underwear, shirt, pants and socks goes a long way.
- Toiletries – compact toilet roll, feminine sanitary products and other hygiene products you use.
Good to have items in your bushfire kit
If you don’t have a friend or family residence to evacuate to, or if your route to the evacuation centre is blocked, you might need to spend the night outdoors. It will be good to have:
Emergency Shelter
Tarp – In an emergency, a tarp can also be used as a ground sheet or shelter. A good tarp is the versatile and compact Helikon-Tex Supertarp or the SSA All Weather Survival Blanket
Mylar space blanket – this compact thermal blanket helps provide protection from rain, wind and provides warmth on cold nights.
Take Control of Your Bushfire Safety
In addition to the steps above – stay informed of updates, practice your evacuation route to familiarise yourself with your bushfire survival plan. As part of your annual bushfire preparation, we highly recommend reviewing your bushfire emergency evacuation kit to ensure your medications are in date, spare clothes still fit, and that your essentials are still packed.
Bushfires are unpredictable and can escalate quickly, leaving little to no time to think. By being prepared, you’re taking a crucial step towards protection yourself and your loves ones – it’s a small investment of time that could save lives.
