Written by Susan Lucock
Susan, member of the Resilience Committee, Editorial Committee and TAG, writes about her firsthand experience with dangerous and unpredictable fires. She also provides tips on how you can keep yourself, your family and your important documents safe.
When I lived in Bonnyrigg about 45 years ago, we lived beside a reserve in a very rural area. I happened to be looking in the right place when the sun blazed down on broken glass in the reserve. Fire broke out and quickly, while I watched, raced along dried grass away from our home. Too quickly to see, it reached a clump of gums about 50 metres away from the original fire and then raced up the tall trees and crowned. The trees were about 20 metres high with lots of greenery on them. I had never seen a crown fire before and had not realised how fast it could and did move. The fire created its own noise, which was surprising, and the heat generated was enormous. I was standing about 40 metres away and could definitely feel the heat.
The fire moved so quickly and many hectares were burnt before it could be brought under control. Once it crowned, it leapt from tree to tree.
Considering my experience, I was not surprised to hear that a bushfire some years ago had leapt the Warragamba Dam鈥攁 total of 104 metres. I am not surprised when I read about major urban fires leaping buildings and igniting elsewhere, seeing photos of bushfire-demolished towns with one or two homes totally left unscathed and those all around them burnt out.
Fire of any sort is a different emergency to any other. It moves faster than you think. I believe it takes two minutes to engulf a kitchen. You only have time to grab family, your money and go, go, go. Things can be replaced, people cannot.
I would recommend photographing any memories or sentimental belongings and putting them onto a thumb drive you can carry around with you. Buy a smoke blanket and learn how to use a fire extinguisher. Train your children in fire safety and teach them not hang around when a fire breaks out.
We do have to take responsibility for ourselves and our children before they are adults. We should teach them, and ourselves, how to react when fires are close.
If you need help backing up your documents on a thumb drive, ask your local councils, libraries or community centres where you can go. Act sensibly and be responsibly resourceful.
Link Wentworth wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Land on which we work and pay our respect to the Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.