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Personal Survival

In this section... Prepare.Act.Survive Logo

Personal survival must be your priority during threat of bushfire

Understanding radiant heat - a major killer in bushfires

  • Bushfires produce enormous amounts of radiant heat

  • This is heat that travels in straight lines, radiating out from a bushfire ahead of the flames

  • Radiant heat is the warmth you feel from a campfire, a radiator heater, or the flame from a gas stovetop but could be up to 50,000 times more intense in a major bushfire

  • Without protection, intense radiant heat will kill you

  • Radiant heat can be blocked by a solid object, such as a concrete wall or building that creates a barrier between you and the bushfire

  • The best protection from radiant heat is distance.

The radiant heat from a bushfire can kill a human without flames ever touching them. Radiant heat kills very quickly. The human body cannot absorb large amounts of radiant heat or withstand extremely high temperatures.

Man in Protective ClothingProtection from radiant heat

  • Wear protective clothing to safeguard yourself from radiant heat

  • Make sure all skin is covered

  • Don't wear shorts, t-shirts and thongs during a bushfire as they do not give your body any protection from radiant heat

  • Cover up as soon as you are alerted to a fire in your area

  • Have a kit of clothing ready for each family member, including a long-sleeved shirt and pants made from cotton or some other natural fibre, sturdy boots and woollen socks, tough leather garden gloves - not rubber or synthetic

  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head and a face mask or towel to cover your mouth and nose

  • Use eye protection such as smoke goggles to shield your eyes

Distance is the best protection

  • The only sure way to survive bushfire and avoid radiant heat is to be out of the area

  • The best protection from radiant heat is distance

Surviving in cars - recent research

Recent research about car passenger survival in bushfire conditions found 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:

  • An operating air conditioning system in recirculation mode "does not have a significant effect on the tenability of the vehicle during the peak of the exposure".

  • "Engine operation during the event did not result in a significant change in cabin tenability during the test program".

In summary, CFA advises that there is little 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:

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.
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