#Community #Message #CTCorp As Australia is approaching Bushfire season 1st November to 30 April . Please make sure your Bushfire Ready PREPARE. ACT. SURVIVE. When Bushfire warnings are issued do you know what they mean? Evacuation Alerts: An evacuation is recommended or procedures are in place to evacuate. Emergency warning: You are in imminent danger and need to take action now. You will be impacted. Watch and act / Warning: An emergency is heading toward you. Conditions are changing and you need to take action now to protect yourself and your family. Advice: An incident is occurring or has occurred in the area. Access information and monitor conditions. Bushfire survival plan: Download or view as pdf at: rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/2933/BushFireSurvivalPlan.pdf Other terms: Planned burns: Planned burning involves lighting fires under carefully managed conditions. It aims to reduce the impacts of damaging bushfires on communities, property and the natural environment. Fire Danger Ratings: Fire Danger Rating wheel The Fire Danger Rating tells you how dangerous a fire would be if one started. It helps you to know when conditions are dangerous enough to enact your bushfire survival plan. Ratings are forecast using Bureau of Meteorology data for up to four days in advance, based on weather and other environmental conditions such as fuel load. The rating is your prompt to take action to stay safe. What do the Fire ratings mean and what should you do? Code Red: These are the worst conditions for a bush or grass fire. Homes are not designed or constructed to withstand fires in these conditions The safest place to be is away from high risk bushfire areas What should I do? Leaving high risk bushfire areas the night before or early in the day is your safest option - do not wait and see. Avoid forested areas, thick bush or long, dry grass Know your trigger - make a decision about: when you will leave where you will go how you will get there when you will return what will you do if you cannot leave Extreme: Expect extremely hot, dry and windy conditions. If a fire starts and takes hold, it will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving. Spot fires will start, move quickly and come from many directions. Homes that are situated and constructed or modified to withstand a bushfire, that are well prepared and actively defended, may provide safety. You must be physically and mentally prepared to defend in these conditions. What should I do? Consider staying with your property only if you are prepared to the highest level. This means your home needs to be situated and constructed or modified to withstand a bushfire*, you are well prepared and you can actively defend your home if a fire starts If you are not prepared to the highest level, leaving high risk bushfire areas early in the day is your safest option Be aware of local conditions and seek information by listening to your emergency broadcasters Severe: Expect hot, dry and possibly windy conditions. If a fire starts and takes hold, it may be uncontrollable. Well prepared homes that are actively defended can provide safety. You must be physically and mentally prepared to defend in these conditions. What should I do? Well prepared homes that are actively defended can provide safety - check your bushfire survival plan. If you are not prepared, leaving bushfire prone areas early in the day is your safest option. Be aware of local conditions and seek information by listening to your emergency broadcasters Very High, High, Low-Moderate If a fire starts, it can most likely be controlled in these conditions and homes can provide safety. Be aware of how fires can start and minimise the risk. Controlled burning off may occur in these conditions if it is safe - check to see if permits apply. What should I do? Check your bushfire survival plan. Monitor conditions. Action may be needed. Leave if necessary. Total fire bans and ratings: Fire Danger Ratings are forecast for four days and a Total Fire Ban is declared on days when fires are likely to spread rapidly and could be difficult to control. If a district has not been declared a Total Fire Ban, fire restrictions may still apply for each municipality. How do Total Fire Bans and Fire Danger Ratings differ? Although Total Fire Bans and Fire Danger Ratings are predominantly both determined by weather, they exist for different reasons. Total Fire Bans: A Total Fire Ban sets legal restrictions on what activities can or can not occur in a particular district for that day. It aims to reduce the activities that may start a fire. Fire Danger Ratings: Fire Danger Ratings predict fire behaviour should a fire start, and how hard it will be to put out. Why are Total Fire Bans only declared the evening before, but Fire Danger Rating forecasts are provided four days ahead? Fire Danger Ratings are based on the weather forecast for each of the nine Bureau of Meteorology weather forecast districts. The Bureau of Meteorology provides a weather forecast (and related Fire Danger Ratings) up to four days. Providing this information in advance enables people to prepare for any significant forecast of fire weather. Weather forecasts, however, can change from day to day, and as a result, so can the forecast Fire Danger Ratings. General guidance as to what you can and can’t do during declared Fire Danger Periods, and on days of Total Fire Ban, when fires in the open air are legally restricted. view or download at: cfa.vic.gov.au/fm_files/attachments/warnings_and_restrictions/cfa_can_I_cant_I_brochure.pdf If you see smoke, check the planned burns map before calling Triple Zero (000). If you see unattended fire call Triple Zero (000)
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 10:01:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015