Fire Danger: Leaving Early on Extreme/Code Red Days WIth Preschoolers

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

We don't have a plan, we should.
We could head to DP's mums in flemington but we need a 'which way to get out of here' kind if plan.
All roads to the closest towns are farmland, if on fire there would be no easy out.


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

[Mother Goose]

Absolutely you need a plan ZF. What happened was a "rare" thing but there are areas that are considered "hot" zones.

If anyone lives in an area surrounded by bushland/farmland, they need to have a plan. Even if you live in a built up area and think the chances of a fire coming through your area are remote - it is essential you have a fire plan/evacuation plan. Don't wait until it is too late. Plan it now. Practice it now. Get your kids to practice it. The more you practice the more it will be second nature and if you DO need to use it, you will be less likely to panic.

Don't forget to include things like contending with tourist traffic if you do live in a tourist area. Or the fact that a lot of people might be trying to leave all at once. How are you going to get out?

When I was in the CFA, I lived in an "outskirts" town with plenty of bushland scattered throughout the suburb. Year after year the residents were far too relaxed about fire danger. And year after year I was putting out spot fires...in the middle of town...and if we didn't get to them in time there was a very very very real chance of a big chunk of town suffering. Please talk about, set, and practice your plan.

For those of you who don't live in Bush Fire Danger areas, I would still urge you to think about your home fire plan if your house was to catch alight. Where will your family meet? What's your evacuation point? How would you get out? What's your escape route? Do your kids know how to test to see if a fire is on the other side of the door? You know it (your plan), but do your kids? Don't just talk about it, write it down and practice it.

Fire is something a lot of people think will never happen to them. And then it does. Don't get caught out.