This section deals with what to do if a fire is approaching or present at your farm.
All fires are different. For some fires you may have several days’ warning; other fires may arrive suddenly with only minutes to prepare. Some fires will also hit on a very dangerous day, and all you can do is leave or shelter in your house. On other days, the fire may arrive when the weather is milder.
The warning you get and the severity of the fire will affect what you have time to do and what it is safe to do.
Stay informed – know where there is fire
Monitor where local fires are, so you are not caught unawares. During the Black Summer bushfires, fires were burning and threatening for weeks or months in a local area. Knowing where fire was and was likely to spread to in the short term allowed people to plan and carry out relatively normal activities during the weeks before fires arrived at their farm.
Monitor fire location and behaviour by checking ABC local radio and fire authority apps and conducting your own local observation – don’t rely on fire apps alone as they may not be up to date.