CFA Bushfire Education

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Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world.

Understanding how a bushfire behaves is essential to your survival

This interactive tutorial has 3 important sections that you should complete -
1) Fire Risk     2) How fire behaves     3) Fire safety

Navigate your way through interactive content, games, and 3D environments to
ensure that you will be FIRE READY

Click on an ember to start your journey

Bushfires can spread at incredible speeds.

Understanding how a bushfire behaves is essential to your survival

This interactive tutorial has 3 important sections that you should complete -
1) Fire Risk     2) How fire behaves     3) Fire safety

Navigate your way through interactive content, games, and 3D environments to
ensure that you will be FIRE READY

Click on an ember to start your journey

Take steps to help ensure your safety during the bushfire season.

Understanding how a bushfire behaves is essential to your survival

This interactive tutorial has 3 important sections that you should complete -
1) Fire Risk     2) How fire behaves     3) Fire safety

Navigate your way through interactive content, games, and 3D environments to
ensure that you will be FIRE READY

Click on an ember to start your journey

Fire Risk: Ember Attack

Ember Attack!

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About Ember Attack

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Did you know?

Ember attack is the most common way houses catch fire during a bushfire.

Spot fires can be ignited by embers kilometres ahead of the main fire front.

About ember attack

  • Embers are burning twigs, leaves and pieces of bark and debris that are carried by the wind.
  • Ember attack is the most common way houses catch fire during a bushfire.
  • Ember attack occurs when embers are carried by the wind and land on or around a house.
  • It's important to carefully manage the vegetation around a house to reduce the impact of ember attack. More advice and information is available here.
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Fire Risk: Radiant Heat

Radiant Heat

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About Radiant Heat

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Did you know?

Don't get caught in the open. Radiant heat can kill you.

About Radiant Heat

  • Radiant heat is the biggest killer of people and animals in a fire.
  • A solid object such as a brick wall and suitable clothing can offer some protection from radiant heat. But they may not save your life. The best protection is distance.
  • Radiant heat can crack or break windows, allowing embers to enter a building.
  • Don't get caught in the open. Radiant heat can kill you.
  • Radiant heat and direct flame contact can be greatly reduced by carefully managing the vegetation around your home.
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Fire Risk: Fire Danger Rating

Fire Danger Rating

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About Fire Danger Ratings

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Did you know?

Regardless of property preparation, most homes will not be able to withstand fires in Code Red conditions.

About Fire Danger Rating

  • In Victoria, the highest Fire Danger Rating is called Code Red; in other states, it is called Catastrophic.
  • The Fire Danger Rating predicts how a fire would behave if one started including how difficult it would be to put out.
  • The rating is your trigger to act, so to stay safe you need to stay aware of the Fire Danger Rating in your district.
  • During the fire season, the Fire Danger Ratings for your district can be found at the CFA website, Bureau of Meteorology and in newspapers and other media, or by contacting the Bushfire Information Line on 1800 226 226.
  • The safest place to be is away from high-risk bushfire areas.
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How Fire Behaves: Fire Spread & Wind Change

Fire Spread & Wind Change

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Facts: Fire Spread & Wind Change

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Did you know?

Many people who die in bushfires get caught during or after the wind change.

About fire spread & wind change

The stronger the wind, the hotter the fire will burn. During a bushfire, wind speed has a significant influence on the:

  • Speed at which a fire spreads
  • Direction in which a fire travels
  • Intensity and size of the fire front
  • Likelihood of spot fires occurring
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How Fire Behaves: Topography

Topography

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Facts: What is topography?

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Did you know?

Valleys and gullies can channel and strengthen winds, increasing fire speed and intensity.

About Topography

  • As a general rule, for every 10° slope, a fire will double its speed as it travels uphill. If a fire is travelling at 5kph along flat ground and it hits a 10° slope it will double in speed to 10kph up that hill.
  • So given that fires can travel up to speeds of up to 25kph, what happens when it hits a 20° slope? A 25kph fire becomes a 100kph fire that even a car will struggle to out run.
  • As wind passes over a hill it can create turbulence ahead of the fire front causing the fire to behave erratically.
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Fire Safety: Safety and Awareness

Safety and Awareness

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Facts: Have a plan

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Did you know?

In high-risk areas, leaving early is your only safe option on Code Red fire danger days.

Bushfire Survival Plan

Not everyone thinks clearly in an emergency. A written and well-practised plan will help you remember what needs to be done during a crisis. It also lists the preparations you will need to do to help you become fire ready.

Your plan needs to outline:

  • Actions before the bushfire season
  • Actions during the bushfire season (the Fire Danger Period)
  • Actions leading up to Fire Risk Days
  • Your back-up plan
  • Click here to start your bushfire survival plan.

Facts: Bushfire Warning

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Did you know?

Do not rely on an official warning to leave. Bushfires can start quickly and threaten homes and lives within minutes.

Warnings

During a bushfire, alerts and warnings are used to tell you the threat level from a fire. These should inform your decisions and be your trigger to leave. For alerts and warnings:

  • Visit the CFA website
  • Tune into your emergency broadcasters - ABC local radio, commercial radio and designated community radio stations
  • Sky News television
  • Call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 or via National Relay Service - 1800 555 677

Facts: Preparing your property

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Did you know?

It only takes 2 weeks of hot, dry and windy weather to create dangerous fire conditions.

Preparing your property

There are some simple things you can do around your home to decrease your bushfire risk. By managing the vegetation around your home, you can create space by reducing fuels and therefore bushfire intensity. This helps to protect your house from direct flame contact and reduces the radiant heat to which your house will be exposed.

  • Keep grass short
  • Make spaces between plants and trees
  • Clean your gutters and rake up leaves

Facts: Before you leave

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Did you know?

In high risk areas leaving early on Code Red fire danger days is your only safe option.

Before you leave

There are things you can do around your property before you leave which may help to minimise damage to your house and other structures.

  • Close all doors and windows
  • Move doormats and outdoor furniture away from the house
  • Block the downpipes and partially fill the gutters with water
  • Turn off the gas supply
Back to start

Fire Safety: Learn More

Information

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Did you know?

The best way to protect your life and the lives of your family and friends is to think ahead…

Follow the link below for information that will help you decide what to do.

Download Fire Plan

Learn More

CFA on your Mobile

The CFA mobile website and CFA FireReady smartphone application allow you to easily access timely and accurate information on just about any mobile device with internet access. Find out more…

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