Bushfire Survival Plan

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You and your family's safety and survival during a bushfire will depend on how prepared you are, and the decisions you make.

There are 7 keys to surviving a bushfire that we recommend you review as part of developing your Bushfire Survival Plan:

  1. Writing and practicing your Bushfire Survival Plans
    Your plan is central to your survival
  2. Understanding bushfire behaviour
    It is important to understand the characteristics and behaviour of bushfires. They are influenced by vegetation, topography and climate.
  3. Recognising days of high fire danger
    Bushfires can be more dangerous on certain days. Learn to recognise the characteristics and terminology of these days.
  4. Preparing your home and property
    Even if your Plan is to leave early, a well-prepared home is more likely to survive a bushfire.
  5. Creating emergency kits
    Kits keep all the things you will need together and accessible. Create:
    • Relocation Kit - things to take with you
    • Survival Kit - what you need to help survive the day
    • Recovery Kit - what you need for the 24-48 hours after a fire.
  6. Acting on days of high fire danger
    Put your preparation and plans into action on high fire danger days.
  7. Consider your physical and emotional preparation
    It's important to be realistic about what you can and can't do. Ensure you and your family understand fully what a bushfire can mean in terms of fear, stress and threat to personal life.

Bushfire Survival Plan Template

Your Bushfire Survival Plan outlines:

  • what you need to do to help safeguard your property
  • what actions each member of your family will take on fire risk days and if a fire threatens.

Create your own 5 Minute Bushfire Plan or complete the Bushfire Survival Plan (Template).

A good plan:

  • is prepared well before the Fire Danger Season and reviewed each year
  • is written down, so that the details are at hand when you need them
  • is practiced regularly so you know how it will go on the day
  • is created with the whole family and covers everyone, including the young and elderly
  • includes what to do:
    • before the Fire Danger Season
    • on a Total Fire Ban day
    • during a bushfire
    • after a bushfire
  • can adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

Making a choice when a bushfire threatens is too late

Most people who die in bushfires die leaving their homes at the last moment. Leaving late is a deadly option.

A good plan will outline when you will stay and defend your property and when you will leave early. Unexpected things can happen in an emergency so you will need to adapt to changing circumstances and have a plan that will work in different situations. Your plan should consider questions like:

  • will it need to be different on weekends or weekdays?
  • what if the children are at school?
  • what if you have house guests or someone is home sick?
  • what affects do COVID-19 restrictions have on my plan?

You may also decide to have different plans to suit the daily Fire Danger Rating and have one plan on days when the Fire Danger Rating is forecast to be Extreme and a different plan when the Fire Danger Rating is forecast to be Catastrophic.

Learn more