10 Step Guide: Planning for Bushfire Protection
Shutterworld

With bushfire season in Australia quickly approaching, it is essential to implement strategies that will help protect your home from the threat of fires. Below, we have created a list of tips that can help you in planning for bushfire protection in Australia and save your home from destruction.

1. Place gravel around your plants

Make sure you’re prepared against potential wildfire destruction this summer by taking note of one of the quickest and easiest bushfire protection steps. Replacing the grass or mulch around your plants with pebbles or gravel will do the trick. With grass catching on fire a common threat, this simple and easy garden upgrade will help prevent your house from being set on fire.

2. Install fire-resistant shutters

For homes that are located in a bushfire prone area, installing fire-resistant shutters at your property and keeping them shut may help to save your home. The shutters will be able to keep out floating ambers and ignited debris from entering your home. We recommend using our high-quality BAL 40 roller shutters, which are made especially for fire protection but come with a lot of other benefits as well.

3. Keep plants far from windows

Plants may look great surrounding your home and windows, but this is another way fire can enter your home. When planning your landscaping, you should place all plants far enough away from your house, so that a flame will not be able to make contact with your home.

4. Remove flammable items from around your home

When planning for bushfire protection in Australia, you want to remove anything that can catch fire from around your house. Most fires spread by floating embers landing on flammable items that surround your home.

5. Clear out roof gutters

Gutters present a simple solution – by keeping them free of debris like leaves and twigs, your house is provided with an extra layer of protection. Fire debris can act as kindling when tossed onto your roof or property, so it’s important to maintain the cleanliness of your gutters and downspouts to minimise the possibility of a fire spreading quickly to your home. Taking even just a few minutes each year to check on and clear out your gutters could end up saving you valuable time, money, and even lives.

6. Purchase a long hose

You want to have the ability to reach all sides of your home and the boundaries of your property so that if a small fire occurs, you may be able to water it down. In this case, always think of safety first and call the emergency fire brigade to put the fire out.

7. Keep windows closed during a bushfire

Keeping windows shut during a bushfire is an added precaution to make sure that no embers float through the window and set your home alight from the inside. Fireproof shutters will be a better option rather than just having windows as they have extra added protection.

8. Install static water supply signage

Installing static water supply signage is an effective way to protect properties from bushfires. This can help alert firefighters and other emergency personnel quickly to a water source, such as pools or tanks which can be utilised to contain the flames and minimize further property damage. Such signage also helps familiarize personnel with the area, allowing them to move more quickly in the heat of the moment.

9. Store flammable chemicals away from the house

Storing flammable chemicals away from your home is an excellent way to protect against potential bushfires. By keeping chemicals at a safe distance, such as in a shed or garage, homeowners can minimize the risk of their belongings being lost in a blaze. The further away these materials are, the less likely it is that they will catch fire and spread to other combustible items. In addition to this, by keeping flammable chemicals far away from the house, you can also lessen the chances of dangerous fumes from these materials escaping and entering your living spaces in the case that a fire does occur.

10. Prepare early, don’t leave it till the last minute

Remember bushfire season is on its way. By planning for bushfire protection, you are going to give your home the best chance of survival and help protect your loved ones and community.

At Shutter World, we can install our high-quality BAL 40 fire shutters to help you protect your home this bushfire season. Contact us for more information.