Bushfire risk: why we must be prepared
The choices we make.
Every fire starts with a spark. What happens after the spark depends on many factors. Think of two fires: the first on a wet winter day, the second on a hot gusty summer afternoon.
Weather is indeed a key fire factor — with temperature, wind, and humidity all playing a role. Another is topography: did you know that fire moves faster uphill? The third factor is fuel: the more flammables, the more ferocious a fire can become.
In the Adelaide Hills, we are fortunate to have hot summers as well as beautiful green and undulating landscapes. And while that makes our area a great place to call home, all three risk factors are present in abundance that can turn a spark into a devastating bushfire.
We cannot eliminate, but greatly reduce this risk. The choices we make — throughout the year, ahead of the fire season, on a day of elevated risk, and when there is a fire nearby — play a fundamental role on the outcomes on ourselves and our loved ones, should a bushfire occur. That’s good news: we have the power to make a difference. Being firewise means making wise choices.
Key reasons to prepare for fires:
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Many areas of the Adelaide Hills are classified as a high to extreme bushfire risk. (BMAP 2016)
Hot, dry summers combined with dense vegetation create perfect fire conditions.
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Steep slopes and strong winds make fires spread rapidly.
You may only have minutes to act.
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Many houses are surrounded by trees and scrub.
Embers can reach your property even if the main fire front is kilometres away.
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Narrow, winding roads can become blocked or unsafe.
Leaving late is one of the most dangerous decisions.
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Past disasters include Ash Wednesday (1983), Sampson Flat (2015), Cudlee Creek (2019), and Cherry Gardens (2021).
“This isn’t relevant to me — I’m just gonna leave, and my home is insured.”
Leaving early and having adequate insurance are good ideas and are common sentiment around the Adelaide Hills. But think further.
What if it’s no longer safe to leave? Fires can evolve very quickly, and although you may plan to leave early, you may not be able to do so.
That’s why everyone needs to be prepared.
Swiss cheese and disasters
A closer look at the theory of risk
Disasters are not natural
We often hear the term “natural disaster”, but that term is misleading. Natural hazards may lead to disasters if they overwhelm local capacity to prevent or reduce its impact, to respond and recover. Some hazards — such as bushfires and floods — are natural. Disasters are not. Disasters are almost always the result of decisions made long before the event, and not always by those affected. It all melts down to Swiss cheese.
Why Swiss cheese matters
See the model with the slices of Swiss cheese? Imagine that your child stands on the left of (very large) cheese slices and that you stand to their right. If your child had a water pistol, how likely would you be hit?
In the model, you’d have a low chance of getting wet, right? The holes would need to perfectly align. But with more or bigger holes, you’d probably need a towel. And what if there were fewer slices, or none at all?
Lines of defence
The cheese slices are our defence lines — and just as in the game illustrated above, we need many lines of defence with few holes (vulnerabilities) when it comes to natural hazards like bushfires. There are four key lines of defence when it comes to bushfires:
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Exposure is about being in a location or setting that is at risk of being affected by a hazard. To reduce exposure, one can either a) increase the distance between hazard source and the threatened system, b) create barriers between them, or c) mix these approaches.
Practical examples at the household level include:
reducing vegetation and other flammables from the proximity of your home (reduced exposure to flames)
maintaining asset protection zones (APZ), which is monitored by Councils.
on large properties, the Burning on Private Land programme by the Department of Environment and Water can help.
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Sensitivity refers to the susceptibility of a system or asset (such as your home) to be negatively affected by a hazard. Reducing sensitivity is about making assets more resilient, so that they are less affected.
Key examples related to bushfires are:
Making your home safer to prevent embers entering any cavities.
When constructing new homes, making sure that materials can withstand likely impact of flames.
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Preparedness is about the resources and procedures to deal with looming or ongoing hazard impact. Improving preparedness includes response capacity, access to early warning, and early action.
Having a good bushfire survival plan and emergency kits in place are examples.
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Coping capacity refers to the ability to deal with residual risk — i.e., the negative effects of hazards that cannot be avoided through other means.
Improving coping capacity in practice means having insurance that covers home reconstruction (including debris removal) and the replacement of contents. Having strong social networks is also critical for recovery.
Pilots and engineers: an analogy
Imagine yourself as an airline pilot. Principally, a lot can go wrong on your next flight: you may encounter turbulent weather, technical trouble, or even lose engine power.
Thankfully, those things almost never happen: aviation these days is safe, thanks to redundant systems, strict safety protocols, and good training. All these measures helped to greatly reduce risk (despite moving at 900 km/h through hostile surrounds).
But even if you have an emergency (let’s say, an engine has failed), you have been well-trained to deal with it. You have checklists that help you sort out the issue as quickly and as calmly as possible (and, to land the plane safely).
We can do the same for bushfires. We can take measures long before a bushfire (much like the engineer building a safer plane and systems). We can have safer homes and surrounds, and there is much that we can do. Whether you are planning to leave early or to stay and defend, Firewise Assist can provide professional advice to minimise the risk of bushfires impacting your home and property. Find out how.
And for the event of an emergency, we can be prepared like pilots. Creating systems and checklists for all types of scenarios, and then practicing them, will help us to act as quickly and calmly as possible. That’s why we need to have bushfire survival plans that are written down and practiced.