By Taylah Eastwell
Close to half of all Victorians living in areas at high risk of bushfire could be risking their lives by opting to ‘wait and see’ rather than ‘leave early’ on high-risk fire days, a CFA survey has revealed.
More than 600 people in some of Victoria’s highest risk fire locations were surveyed, and the results come despite the state suffering its worst fire season in a decade last year.
The latest seasonal outlook predicts a lower risk of long-running bushfires than last year, when 1.5 million hectares of Victoria burned, but grassfires remain a high risk across the state.
A quarter (26%) of respondents to CFA’s 2020 Bushfire Community Survey said they would do as much as possible to protect their property but leave if they felt threatened by the fire.
12 percent said they would wait to see what the fire was like before deciding whether to stay or leave, and one in 10 said they would wait for police, fire, or emergency services to tell them to leave on the day.
Only eight percent of respondents said they planned to leave the area on days of high-risk fire danger.
The CFA’s Bushfire Community Survey has been undertaken after each bushfire season since 2009–10.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan warned those who waited too long to leave, or weren’t adequately prepared to defend their property, could be risking their lives and those of firefighters.
“Leaving early is the safest option to protect yourself and your family and it means leaving the area before a fire starts – not when you can see flames or smell smoke,” he said.
“Leaving early means leaving the night before, or early in the morning of, a high-risk fire day. It means it’s easier to make good, rational decisions and avoid panic, becoming trapped and risking serious injury or death. Waiting to leave means a drive that normally takes a few minutes could take hours, or you may not be able to get out at all.”
Mr Heffernan said that on hot, dry and windy days, fires can start and spread quickly. He urged Victorians to learn what the Fire Danger Ratings mean and use them as triggers to take action to keep themselves and loved ones safe.
“Households will need different triggers depending on their circumstances, such as whether their property is located near bushland and whether escape routes are limited. However, CFA recommends people in high-risk bushfire settings should leave early on days of Fire Danger ratings of Severe, Extreme or Code Red. On Code Red days, leaving early is the only safe option. Homes are not designed or constructed to withstand fires in those conditions.”
“Talk to your household, family or neighbours about your bushfire survival plan and check Fire Danger Ratings daily so you know when to leave.”
“Fire safety is a shared responsibility and on high fire risk days you cannot expect a fire truck at every house. It’s your responsibility to make the best possible decision for your family,” Mr Heffernan said.
To check the Fire Danger Rating visit www.emergency.vic.gov.au, check the VicEmergency app or phone the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
Download the VicEmergency app now so you know how it works well before you need to use it. You can set up tailored watch zones for the area where you live, go on holiday or to monitor what is happening where friends and family are located.
