Bushfire is one of the most common natural disasters experiencing in all Australian states. The grass and eucalyptus trees are the widespread natural vegetation in Australia. Almost all regions are very hot during seasons with high speed winds. The plants like eucalyptus contain oil which when hot become a best fuel during a fire. These conditions make Australia vulnerable to bushfire. Some brief notes on the major bushfires in the past in Australia are provided here.
1. The Tasmanian Fires in 1967:
On February 7th 1967 this fire burnt several hectares of southern Tasmania in just five hours. On that single day alone, 62 people died and many houses and properties burnt.
2. The Ash Wednesday in 1983:
This bushfire happened on Wednesday 16th February, 1983 in Victoria and South Australia. In this fire, several areas in east and North West of Melbourne were severely affected. Seventy five people died and about 2500 houses burnt in this fire.
3. The Canberra Fire in 2003:
This fire originated from the Namadgi National Park to the south of Canberra. Strong winds pushed the fire into forest areas adjoining Canberra and several hectares of forest and park lands were destroyed in the fire.
4. The Kangaroo island Bushfires:
These were a series of bushfires on December 6th 2007 in Kangaroo islands in South Australia. The fire was supposed to be caused by lightning strikes. In this fire 95000 hectares of land were burnt.
5. The Black Saturday Bushfire:
This is the latest bushfire happened in Victoria,Australia.A series of bushfires started on Saturday 7th February-2009.This resulted in the highest loss of human life in a bushfire in Australia. About 173 people died, more than 4000 houses and other structures burnt, more than 450,000 hectares of land destroyed in the fire.
One of the major suspected cause for the bushfire is the collision in power lines.Lighning in forest areas contribute other cause. In addition, several human activities like careless burning off agricultural lands, sparks from explosives and machinery, deliberate burning by children and arsonists constitute other causes for the bushfire.
What you should do During a Bushfire?
It is most important to take safety steps if you are staying in a bushfire prone area. In this situation it is important to adhere to the warnings and suggestions of the authorities especially like total fire bans when it is declared by them. If you hear about a bushfire in somewhere in your area, you need to take some preparation well in advance. You should be prepared to do the following,
• Monitor the weather condition
• Hear the radio and T.V. about the direction of the fire.
• Take care of valuables and emergency items and pre pack them
• Wear protective clothing.
• Do not leave cooking stoves or burners unattended.
• Test the smoke alarms frequently if it is installed.
• Remove any explosives, chemicals or other burning materials if kept outside the house.
• Drink water in case of dehydration.
• Leave the place along with children and aged if you are not planning to defend the fire.
• Take shelter in a fire bunker if one is installed when the last resort to escape is blocked.
Andrew Kelly is the Co-creator of Fire Proof Shelters, a Purpose built Australian designed Fire Bunker system that’s installed underground on your property. Fire Proof Shelters are designed to save your life in the event of a Bush Fire. They are Fire Rated, Air tight and Smoke sealed. Visit us here for more information, Fire Proof Shelters.
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