| Are you at risk? |
| Leave or Stay? |
| Protect your Property |
| Protect Yourself |
| Make a Bushfire Plan |
| In the Event of Fire |
| Essential Equipment |
| Gas and Bushfires |
| Workbook |
| After a Bushfire |
Radiant heat can kill. You need to cover up - dress to protect yourself - take refuge from direct heat.
Every summer, people try to survive bushfires by wearing light summer dresses, shorts, singlets, even swimsuits. They usually die without the flames even touching their exposed skin. They don't understand the real risks of bushfire - heat stroke, dehydration even asphyxiation.
If you put your hand near an open flame, an electric heater element or electric light bulb, you can feel the radiant heat it generates. Draw your hand away and the amount of heat on your skin decreases.
Put something between your skin and the heat source and again, your skin immediately feels cooler. That's all you need to remember about radiant heat from bushfires - distance and shielding protect you from dangerous exposure.
The danger is real. Radiant heat from the flame front of a bushfire scorches vegetation well in front of its path. It kills animals caught in the open. People can also die if they do not seek protection.
Death is caused by heat stroke, when the body's cooling system fails, leading to heat exhaustion and heart failure.
Bushfires usually occur on days of high temperature. You and your family may be in shorts or swimsuits and bare feet and sandals. Remember, the deadly effects of radiant heat are increased by the amount of skin exposed to it. So as soon as you know there are bushfires in your area, cover up! Firefighters wear protective gear to survive. So should you. Some personal protective clothing is general purpose and you may already have it. Put on natural fibre long pants and light long-sleeved wool jumpers or close weave cotton shirts or overalls. Wear good solid footwear - preferably leather and a sturdy hat. Organise a fire cupboard or box at the beginning of the fire season and pack it with clothing for all members of the family. |
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As the fire front passes, radiant heat levels become extreme.
Your clothing will not be sufficient to protect you for the five to 20 minutes it may take for the fire to pass.
Radiant heat cannot penetrate through solid objects, but will pass through glass. That means your best protection is a well-prepared house.
As the fire front passes, stay inside with doors and windows shut to protect against spark entry. Remember, if you flee from your house, you lose its protection against radiant heat.
Other structures such as brick walls can offer protection. Taking shelter in pools, dams and water tanks is not a safe option. The air above the water will be dangerous to breathe, and may be deadly when inhaled.
Dehydration
occurs when fluid output from the body is greater than fluid input.
It is dangerous because it creates a build up of salts and minerals
in the body tissues which put strain on the kidneys. When the kidneys
fail, death can quickly follow.
The high air temperature during a bushfire and the added stress of wearing extra clothing to shield against radiant heat will contribute to make you sweat heavily.
The fluids you lose must be replaced continuously or you risk dehydration.
Keep cool, drink water often.
Drink cool fluids at every opportunity - even if you don't feel thirsty. Drink often to replace the fluids you sweat off. Alcohol and fizzy drinks must be avoided as they aid dehydration.
Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable, so pay extra attention to their needs. Keep them indoors where they do not need to wear heavy protective clothing for long periods. Cool the skin by sponging with cold water. Make sure they drink frequently.
Remember,
if your plan is to leave when a fire is burning in your area, do
so before the fire threatens and road travel becomes dangerous.
Late evacuation is a deadly option. Declaration of a Total Fire
Ban, or other high fire risk days, should be your trigger to put
your plan into action.
If you are driving and see smoke ahead, always u-turn to safety if you have the option. Avoid being caught out on the road during a fire as it is highly dangerous - a car will not offer safe protection from the radiant heat. However, if you are caught in a fire do not get out and run. Being in a car is still better than being in the open.
Recent research about car passenger survivability, found that there is no real difference between having the car engine on or off or the air conditioning on or off, if the car is caught in a bushfire situation.
While recognising there is differing public advice relating to this matter, CFA endorses the CSIRO findings that:
In summary, CFA advises that there is no real difference in having the air conditioning system in the recirculation mode or switched off. Additionally, there is no real difference in having the engine running or switched off. The most important advice in relation to passenger safety is to avoid being caught out in a car during a bushfire. Road travel during a bushfire is highly dangerous.
For more information on how to protect your self from the radiant
heat of a bushfire Download
the Radiant Heat Brochure (pdf 474k)
Reference: Sargeant, A.J, Leonard, J., Brown, S.K. and Blanchi,
R. (2007) Civilian Passenger Vehicle Burnover Experimentation.
Conference Paper, AFAC/ Bushfire CRC Conference, Hobart 2007.
