WA BAL Report are committed to preventing loss of property and life from bushfires. This means conducting bushfire attack level assessment reports for those living in bushfire-prone areas. However, if you live in a bushfire-prone area, it is likely you will be required to do more to prepare yourself for a bushfire.
You should take measures to protect your home from bushfire attack well before the bushfire season. Don’t think that bushfire prevention is just a ‘summer job’. Preparation is key to reducing your bushfire risk. If your home is properly protected throughout the year, you increase the ability to effectively defend it during the bushfire. On the other hand, if your home is not sufficiently protected, it is advisable to leave early to safety and not attempt to defend it.
WA BAL Report recommends that you take the following precautions throughout the year to prepare for the bushfire season, in line with recommendations by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services:
- Autumn & Winter (May – August):
- Prune trees to remove lower branches and check that power lines are clear. Use a professional contractor to remove trees and branches around power lines
- Reduce fuel levels around the house by clearing long grass, raking leaves and twigs and pruning flammable shrubs
- Spray grass and weeds with herbicide
- Move and store petrol, woodpiles, stacked timber and other flammable materials away from the house
- Confirm your personal and home protection equipment is in good working order
- Develop and review your bushfire survival plan. Ensure you and your family knows what they will do in the event of a bushfire
- Trim grass and keep it short. On farms, keep grazing levels high
- Spring (September – November):
- Prune dead material from shrubs in the building protection zone
- Clean out gutters and remove debris from the roof
- Install firebreaks
- Prepare your emergency kit including bushfire survival plan
- Consider whether you will actively defend your home or leave for a safer place
- Early Summer (December onwards):
- Water lawns, trees and shrubs near buildings and keep them green
- Double-check your personal and home protection gear, screens, water supplies and gutters
For more information
WA BAL Report are experts at conducting Bushfire Attack Level Assessments, Bushfire Attack Level Reports and bushfire prevention strategies in general in Perth and Western Australia. For more information, contact our friendly staff on 08 6114 9356 or at admin@wabalreport.com.au.
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