Summer is coming!

Hooray! Summer is coming! … hang on why is this on SecuriKiwi?

Well as much as summer is great (yes, in New Zealand it really is!) it is not without risks, sometimes there are risks that are more prevalent in summer. We will cover some others in future topics but there is something specific this post relates to: WILDFIRES!

Image of a Canadian Wildfire June 2023 (Source: https://www.audubon.org/news/how-do-wildfires-canadas-boreal-forest-affect-birds-across-continent )

These have been a hot topic in the news recently, with recent fires in Australia, Canada, California and even popping up in Europe with more ferocity than expected. There have been some tragedies with lives lost, properties incinerated and entire towns decimated.

So, with that said, what can you do to prepare for the worst? There are a few things!

In this post we will run through:

1. Risks and Indicators

2. Considerations

3. Preparations

4. Closing summary

5. Relevant links
   

RISKS AND INDICATORS

Some countries use a wildfire risk indicator system, these are really worth paying attention to. If the risk goes above the middle, it's worth taking a lot of extra care as at this rate a fire can still develop quickly and spread. When the indicators get too Extreme, this should not be taken lightly as fires can develop astonishingly fast.

Here are a couple of examples of these signs from Australia and New Zealand, as you can see it is easy to read and these are very important to take note of if you are travelling in unfamiliar areas.

Image of a fire risk indicator sign in NSW Australia (Source: https://hivis.com/products/led-fire-danger-indicator-signs )

The sign above is a New South Wales sign, with digital indicators telling you the last time it was updated. This is not everywhere however but can be useful, as you know you are acting on the most up to date information.

The sign below is more like the majority you will see around various countries, some have just 4 categories and some may have a sign attached to it stating fires a prohibited. If you see this - ensure you do not light any fires.

Imge of a fire risk indicator from Fire and Emergency NZ (Source: https:// www.fireandemergency.nz )

Even in the same country, within a few hours' drive, the conditions can change dramatically – making it very important to keep this in mind. This example shows how different the scrub fire risk can be across a country at any one point in time:

Image of Scrub Fire Danger Classes across New Zealand (Source: fireweather.niwa.co.nz )

As you can see from the NIWA map above, the change in risk is dramatic between one side of the island to the other. You should always be mindful of this when travelling around any country.

Some other things to watch for that may indicate a higher risk of fire:

• Grass is orange rather than green (Easy to ignite and fire can spread very quickly)

• Trees are dry, branches can snap off very easily

• Dirt is dry, cracked and potentially very dusty

• The trees look stressed and in need of watering

• Leaves and other foliage look discolored

Images of high fire risk materials found in nature (Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/dry-grass )

There are other indicators, however these ones are more likely to be noticeable without looking too hard. If you see 2 – 3 of these indicators, then it is a good idea to be aware that the fire risk is probably getting quite high.

There are of course other ways to check the fire risks in the digital age including:

• Checking local news for fire risk notifications

• Checking Civil Defence for any announcements

• Fire brigade websites will usually have fire risk announcements

• Some countries have sites such as www.checkitsalright.co.nz

• Call the non-emergency number for the fire brigade to see if they have advisories

• Facebook/X accounts for official pages may have useful information.

This list is not exhaustive for every area, it is worth keeping an eye on these information streams and also learning when the fire season starts in your area.

So that should help you identify when there is a high risk, understanding this can help you plan your activities safely and with appropriate safeguards in place.

You should consider:

• Having a hosepipe with you to control any fires or dampen down any embers (after a BBQ for example)

• Put off burning rubbish until a safer time

• Cut down any trees or other flammable items that are reaching your house, so they don't catch on fire which may extend to your house

• Water the immediate foliage/plants/grass around your house so they don't ignite easily

• Consider delaying plans that may be risky and put yourself in a difficult situation should a large fire break out

Images of water and greenery (Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/ )

As before, this list is not exhaustive – you should always consider the risks during high-risk fire conditions. That planned hike may be a great idea and something you've always wanted to do, but if the fire risk is extreme, it may be worth waiting until the risk goes down.

Plans can be re-drawn easier than dealing with a fire with no immediate help.

So, we have covered how to spot indicators, where to go to get information and basic considerations – but now we will go through some considerations for your home and family.

CONSIDERATIONS

Home:

For your home, you want to prepare your home to make sure it is defensible. As much as Firefighters will try to save every home, time is not always on the side of the Firefighters and houses are lost due to no preparation of the owner.

Even when firefighters get there in time to potentially save the house, some houses can be lost due to several factors:

• Too many houses to save at once (Firefighters can only do so much at once)

• Lack of water on the truck to save every house (Trucks are limited with water on board, they may also have already used the water elsewhere and be short of supply)

• Lack of water resources (Tankers may be refilling, no pools/rivers, no reticulated water supply etc.)

• Lives take priority over property (If the choice is to save a life or a property, the life takes priority)

• Lack of firefighters, some rural trucks may only have 2 firefighters on board who may have been going from house to house (This then becomes a matter of saving what they can save and leaving the houses they cannot)

• Lack of access to the property, if the fire truck cannot get in AND out of your property easily and safely then it may be deemed too risky

Image of local Fire Fighting Crew and Fire Truck (Source: https://www.facebook.com/fireandemergencynz )

It should also be noted that sometimes other conditions and considerations may dictate the actions of the Firefighters, the items in the 'Preparations' section will help to improve the chances to save your home but should not considered a guarantee.

Family:

To help your family prepare for any situation, you need to remember that these evacuations can happen at any time. This means when you're asleep, at work, at school, playing sports, food shopping etc. so making sure your family is on the same page with the 'Preparations' section.

There are also some key points for your family to understand:

• Property can be replaced, lives can't

• Trust the First Responders, they will be doing all they can to keep people safe

• If there is an evacuation going on, consider putting their phone into 'Battery saver' mode

• Do not enter any evacuated area. You may want to go check on family, but they may have already evacuated, and you will be putting yourself at risk unnecessarily

• Do not enter smoke if at all possible, smoke may quickly overcome anyone who enters or may mask hazards such as edges, debris or other trip hazards

• Avoid any downed power lines (If fires have caused power lines to drop, they may still be energized so no one should go within 6-7 Meters of the lines)

• Do not shelter anywhere near anything explosive (Petrol stations, gas bottle refills etc.)

Image of a downed power line (Source: https://oppdthewire.com/safety-around-downed-power-lines-how-works-oppd/ )

These are some things you can prepare your family to consider, if you have younger children, it might also be worth contacting your local Fire Brigade to see if they have any material for children to understand fire and the risks.

PREPARATIONS

1: Clear access to your house.

Fire trucks are wide, heavy, tall and not always the most maneuverable. If the fire truck cannot easily access your property due to overhanging trees, narrow gates, unstable or narrow paths or especially windy routes into the property then the Firefighters may need to make the decision to skip to a property they can safely attempt to save.

You should therefore consider cutting down any branches that may restrict the access, widen the gate/path to ensure the truck can get into the property.

Fire trucks also need a fair bit of room to turn around, Firefighters are trained not to go into a situation when there is no escape route – so making sure there is adequate room for the truck to turn around is also recommended.

(HINT: Drop into your local Fire Station and talk to the firefighters about what you are doing, they will (usually) be more than happy to discuss with you and show you the trucks so you can see the dimensions you need to clear.)

2: Make the home defensible.

To make a home defensible, there is this helpful diagram from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) which shows what you should consider. Fire brigades around the world have similar advisories.

Visual guide to reduce fire risk at home (Source: https://www.fireandemergency.nz/fire-safety-campaign-resources/low-flammability-plants/ )

There are also considerations for plants, some are more flammable than others and making sure you keep the more flammable ones away from your home will decrease the chances that they will ignite.

Consider installing a water source for Firefighters to use to defend your house, this may not be feasible for every home especially in urban areas – however if you are rural, it should be something you give serious consideration to do. If there are available resources such as water, Firefighters are going to be more confident in their ability to defend your property.

3: Prepare supplies just in case.

There may be a time that you are cut off from accessing shops or supplies or are evacuated, you should make sure you have certain items ready to grab at a moment's notice. You should consider the following:

• Water for 3 days (remember to include water for people and pets)

• Water purification tablets

• Food for 3 days (again, for people and pets)

• Medications for 3 days.

• Clean cloths (Consider warm cloths as well, although hot during the day you may need to keep warm at night)

• Wet wipes (for hygiene when there is likely no water)

• Torch or other light source (Glowsticks, LED lantern, headtorch etc.)

• Camping stove (For food but also to help boil water if required)

• First aid kit

• Sunblock/hats to ensure if you are in the open for a while you are protected against the sun.

• Radio - Ideally pre-tuned to your local emergency frequency. You should consider writing this frequency on the radio, so you never have to remember

The above lists will help you should you be without help for a few days, it can typically take a few days for relief to arrive after an emergency. If every member of a community can survive for 3 days on their own supplies, then the emergency Civil Defence supplies will in turn last longer.

Image of emergency distilled water supply (Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/emergency-supplies )

Other items to consider are below, these are items that would be nice but can drastically increase the number of items you are taking with you. You should be able to drop these items should you have to leave on foot rather than your car:

• Sleeping bags

• Tent (small pop-up tents are ideal)

• Fishing rod (or other items for gathering food should that be required)

• Battery backup for phones/tablets

• Toiletries

• Bluetooth speaker (Entertainment can help keep situations calm)

• In car mattress insert (these are inflatable usually, setting this up in the car provides shelter and comfort.)

There are other items that may help in the event they are needed, you should always consider these extras as 'optional' and be prepared to leave them in favor of the essentials.

4: Plan your escape.

Although evacuations can be directed by Civil Defence, Police or Fire brigades – you should always be prepared to self-evacuate. There have been multiple instances through California, Australia and New Zealand where fires have moved faster than alerts to evacuate.

Image of official Evacuation Area signage (Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/evacuation )

You should always keep an eye on the situation and circumstances around you, listen to local radio stations and keep an eye on emergency service sites/feeds to see if there are any important updates. However if no evacuation is recommended but the situation looks risky, you should be prepared to evacuate yourself and your family to safety. DO NOT WAIT for the situation to become too dangerous, if you are not happy that you are safe then leave.

There have sadly been some stories of people waiting to leave until the last minute, only to find out that their escape route was cut off.

The best thing is to plan ahead, have some slow-time practices with your family members and if possible, come up with multiple escape routes. The following questions and steps should be considered as part of your plan, you should also check this every year to make sure there are no unexpected changes.

• Where is your safe rendezvous point? (HINT: Talk to your local Fire brigade who will know where you should go initially)

• What is the best route to use?

• What is the backup route to use in the event the first one is blocked? (Consider repeating this step if you have multiple options)

• How will you get there? (A car may be the first choice, but consider options for being on foot in the event that the road is blocked)

• How will you indicate the house is clear? (If you leave the house, it might be a good idea to have something to show you have left the house. This will save anyone going into the house to check and costing precious minutes for someone else).

• Does everyone in the family know where to meet in the event they are not at home when an evacuation takes place? (It should be made clear that your family should go to your safe rendezvous point first)

• In the event of self-evacuation, your family should know what radio station to listen to for any relevant updates (This will be useful in the event that no Mobile Phone alerts are issued)

• Ensure your family know that if Police, Fire or other emergency service is directing them away from the safe rendezvous point – they should follow those instructions.

• Is your family aware of what is important when evacuating? (Pets, Food, Water are all worth grabbing. The Xbox, TV or drinking horn are not)

The above points are useful, but there may be some other considerations you can use depending on the ability of family members and availability of items.

• Is there a backup communication option? (Radios for example)

• Does everyone carry some basic supplies in case they can't return home?

• Does everyone have a mobile phone that is capable of receiving emergency alerts?

• Are there any language/communication barriers that need considering? (If your family does not speak English, or is deaf – how will they communicate with Police/Fire?)

One other way to plan for this type of event, is to discuss with your neighbors/friends about plans. You can co-ordinate as a team with areas of responsibility (one neighbor has tents, another is a hunter, another has good medical equipment and training etc.). The community can come together this way to support each other through the worst times, although these considerations are generally thought to be in the remit of emergency services it is something worth considering improving the situation for everyone.

Image of friendly neighbours checking in on one another (Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/ )

Test! Now you have planned your escape – test it out with your family. You can do this at various times, inject some fun for younger family members and friendly competition for the older ones. Keeping this fresh in the minds of your family will help should the situation ever arise.

There are certainly other considerations and initiatives out there, I cannot cover them all in this one blog but hopefully this starts you thinking and considering the options.

5: Don't let this ruin your fun.

While the tone of this article was serious, don't let the content affect your summer fun!

You can be prepared but still go out and enjoy life, it's similar to having smoke alarms in your house (future article likely!), you put them in, but you still have fun and enjoy your life.

Image of a beautiful summer beach (Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/summer-beach )

IN CLOSING

In closing, the article is meant to help spark your thinking with regard to this rather than do all the thinking for you. Situations will vary across your own circumstances, you are the only one who can assess your situation fully. There are multiple suppliers of good equipment for these situations, I will provide links to a few but there are many others.

I will however state a few really important notes:

• If there is an emergency, call the emergency number (911 works in most countries but you should learn the emergency number for whatever country you are in - even just for a holiday)

• Do not take unnecessary risks

• Listen to the advice of Emergency services

• Do not enter any burning building

• Do not wait for an evacuation notice if you feel unsafe, get to safety.

Hopefully, this has been helpful, enjoy the summer and stay safe!

Links:

Some links below can help you see what resources are out there, it is worth looking at other suppliers as well. We are not paid/endorsed by any supplier or agency, this is just some links that we are aware of and use.

• Emergency Mobile Alert frequently asked questions (FAQ) — Get Ready — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand

• About School Firewise Programmes | Fire and Emergency New Zealand

• NZ Survivor: Civil Defence Emergency Management and Kits

• Survival Kits | Emergency Kit | Gear & Tools - Survival Supplies Australia

• https://youtu.be/guHQEzP8Ygc?si=oE37nrKnmqfN1GVZ (Flammable plants)

• https://youtu.be/upOifvdaWok?si=QOnEat1wXAQTMQgh (NZ-based flammable plant demonstration)

• Have emergency supplies » National Emergency Management Agency (civildefence.govt.nz)