Frank Dunstan
Now for some photos taken on my block to show what I do to make my home safe from bushfires. I have no desire to be one of those firies whose home gets burnt while away saving other people's homes in a wildfire.
This old caravan is only used as a store room, but the grass is kept mown and green all year round as protection from wildfires.
My eastern boundary with a newly slashed powerline easement and still green fire break. Prevailing dry season winds are generally from the east and by slashing under the powerline I gain an extra wide fire break with increased protection from wildfires. In past years trees have grown through the high voltage lines, adding to the danger. Contractors finally cleared in 2008 and I intend keeping it that way.
The donga is among the trees. Grass is kept short and green all year round.
Around the donga is kept green all year round, except in areas too heavily shaded for grass to grow.
My bore setup for a fire unit refilling point. There is an on/off switch on the post with a 25mm hose for vehicle washdown.
The multiple tanks are a carry over from the days before the bore was put in and I had to rely on rain water.
Some of my roof sprinklers, with one on top of the TV antenna.
That's right, they're just normal plastic irrigation sprinklers connected to black poly pipe. No, they won't melt in the heat of a bushfire.
There are very wide green belts devoid of long grasses around the buildings and the roof sprinkler system is just a last line of defence against falling embers. These aerial sprinklers work in conjunction with fixed ground level sprinklers surrounding the donga and shed. The bore supplies good pressure and water spread from each sprinkler is 2-3 metres radius. They are cheap, easy to install and easy to maintain.
The firebreaks being dragged in late June and collected grass being spread around trees (ylang-ylang in this case) as cheap weed-free mulch. Nightly watering keeps the mulch moist, ensuring that it doesn't become a fire hazard to the trees.
The finished fire break with all slashed grass removed to my trees and garden as mulch.
The cleared fre breaks are my first line of defence against bushfires. They provide clear access for fire fighters and give a safe area to light up a back burn to a wildfire.
My second defence is keeping the block clear of gamba, mission and spear grasses.
The third defence is to keep areas around assets clean and green.
The fourth defence is a system of permanently installed garden sprinklers that keep the area moist and green.
The final defence is the roof sprinkler system, tested regularly and turned on when I must leave home in periods of extreme fire danger, or when there is a bushfire nearby.
