As part of your Bushfire Survival Plan, you need to know where to relocate if you plan to leave early or if your plan to stay and defend has failed.
Bushfire Safer Places
A Bushfire Safer Place is a place of relative safety. It may be used as a first resort for people who have planned to leave high risk locations early on a bad fire day.
If you choose to stay in a Bushfire Safer Place, or if you relocate to one, it is unlikely that you will be exposed to direct flame or radiant heat, but you may be exposed to sparks, embers and smoke.
If you intend to relocate to a Bushfire Safer Place you should do so early in the day or the night before a high risk fire day. Last minute decisions to relocate in the face of fire are extremely dangerous.
Bushfire Safer Places are identified by purple overlay on maps.
If your Bushfire Survival Plan includes relocating to a Bushfire Safer Place, you should:
- Identify where your nearest Bushfire Safer Place is, decide what your triggers will be to relocate and what you will take with you.
- Work out how you will get there or if there are any alternative routes.
- Consider the challenges you may face getting there, including smoke, additional traffic, fallen trees.
You can find your nearest Bushfire Safer Place and Bushfire Last Resort Refuge at cfs.sa.gov.au.
Bushfire Safer Places reduce the likelihood that you will be exposed to direct flame or radiant heat, but you may still be exposed to sparks, embers and smoke.
Bushfire Last Resort Refuges
A Bushfire Last Resort Refuge is a space or building which could be used as a last resort to shelter from a bushfire when personal Bushfire Survival Plans can’t be implemented. They provide a minimum level of protection from the life-threatening effects of radiant heat and direct flame contact in a bushfire.
Bushfire Last Resort Refuges are identified by green icon on maps.
Will you be safe in a Bushfire Last Resort Refuge?
Bushfire Last Resort Refuges do not guarantee the survival of those who seek refuge there.
Risks associated with Last Resort Refuges
- Travelling to a Bushfire Last Resort Refuge may be dangerous.
- Traffic congestion, fire activity, heavy smoke, accidents or fallen trees may block the route.
- Emergency and support services may not be there.
- Bushfire Last Resort Refuges may have limited capacity.
- Bushfire Last Resort Refuges do not cater for animals.
- Bushfire Last Resort Refuges do not provide meals, amenity or special facilities (e.g. for infants, the elderly, the ill or disabled).
- Bushfire Last Resort Refuges may not provide shelter from the elements, particularly flying sparks and embers.
Bushfire Last Resort Refuges provide a minimum level of protection from radiant heat and direct flame contact.