Bushfire preparedness vital - preliminary survey results from Blue Mountains bushfires

The preliminary results of research compiled by the Rural Fire Service and CSIRO in the immediate wake of the Blue Mountains fires have been released.

An article published in The Land on 21 November reported that people's level of preparedness was found to be vital, particularly when carried out well ahead of the blazes.  In addition, people's readiness to stay and defend their homes was critical in determining which houses were saved and which were destroyed in last month's bushfires.

 
Preparedness factors which significantly reduced the likelihood that a house would be destroyed included removing or reducing ground-level vegetation and removing ignitable material on or close to homes, according to Justin Leonard, CSIRO's leader in bushfire urban design research.
 
Leaving material that can ignite under ember attack - such as storing a caravan or boat close to a house, retaining wooden furniture on decks, and failing to clear gutters of leaves - were all factors in determining whether a house caught fire.

 

You can read the full article here:  http://www.theland.com.au/news/agriculture/general/news/bushfire-preparedness-vital/2679197.aspx?storypage=0

Thanks to Craig Welden from the SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium for bringing this article to my attention