Essential Equipment

If you intend to stay and defend your property during a bushfire you will need to make sure you have the right equipment.

While you may need to purchase some equipment specifically for firefighting purposes, many items are commonly found around the home.

Personal Protective Clothing

Each person who is involved in defending the home will need: long trousers or overalls in natural fibre (jeans or cotton overalls), long sleeved shirt or jumper (cotton or wool), broad brimmed hat, sturdy leather boots or shoes, goggles, gloves, face mask or handkerchief to cover the nose and mouth.

Buckets

Buckets are light, easliy portable and an effective way to move water.

Mops

Old-fashioned cotton mops are good as they hold a lot of water. Many people have successfully extinguished embers around their home using mops and buckets.

Ladders

You will need a ladder inside to provide access to the ceiling space via the manhole. It would also be useful to have a ladder outside to provide access to the roof in case any embers land there.

Blankets and towels

Wet these down and use them to seal any gaps under doors to prevent embers and smoke from entering the house.

Torches – battery powered

Leave a torch in the ceiling space to check for embers here. Have another one in the house in case the power goes off during the bushfire. Remember to check that the batteries work before each fire season

Radio – battery powered

Tune in to ABC radio or your local community radio station for updates on the fire’s progress. CFA provide regular media updates to radio stations throughout major bushfires.

Shovels and rakes

Useful for breaking up piles of burning material and for covering burning embers with dirt to extinguish.

Knapsack

Firefighting backpacks can be purchased, however many of the weed sprayers sold in hardware stores would also be suitable. Some of the smaller sprayers hold five litres and are therefore not so heavy to carry around.

Downpipe or gutter plugs

Commonly available at plumbing suppliers and hardware stores or you can make your own. Check what size down pipes (round or rectangular) you have so that you are sure to purchase the right size. Many people have also made their own gutter plugs using such things as tennis balls, stockings, sand and PVC pipes.

Hoses

Hoses will need to reach to all extremities of your home, so use a string line to work out the required hose lengths. Metal hose fittings for taps are a good idea as they are less likely to melt as temperatures increase. Put a hose fitting connection on to your washing machine tap so that you can use your hose inside if needed.

Firefighting pump

A petrol, diesel or electric powered firefighting pump will be necessary if you need to draw water from an independent water supply such as a tank or swimming pool. Remember you can’t rely on mains power in a bushfire.

It is important that everyone in the household knows how to start and operate the pump. Pumps can be heavy to move around so consider using a trolley. Pump suppliers will be able to advise you of the size of pump you require for your property.

Independent water supply

Ideally you would install a tank specifically for firefighting purposes, or would be able to draw water from a swimming pool or dam. If this is not possible, think creatively about what you might have around your home that you could use to store water in to fight a bushfire. Some examples include:

44 gallon drums placed strategically around the home (if you have young children, you will need to cover them
Rubbish bins (wheelie bins work well)
Wheel barrows
Troughs or
Garden ponds

Sprinkler system

Garden sprinkler systems can be used during a bushfire to wet down the area around your home, prior to the arrival of the fire front. It is also possible to install roof mounted sprinklers and/or sprinklers under eaves, but you need to consider how you will draw water and where the water will come from.

There are factors for consideration:

Mains power may not be available
How will you draw water and where will it come from?
If you have a limited water supply – how long can you run your sprinkler system for?
If you are not at home, does a neighbour know how to operate your system for you?

CFA do not endorse or recommend specific types of sprinkler systems. For further assistance check your phone directory under Irrigation Systems - Sprinklers.

Remember, as the fire front approaches you will need to move inside the home to stay safe. Where possible, take your equipment inside with you to protect it from the extreme heat.

Once the fire front has passed, go outside again wearing your personal protective clothing and extinguish any spot fires that have started around your property.

Find out more about making a bushfire survival plan