When you know a bushfire is approaching, final preparation work must be carried out to protect yourself, your family, your property and pets.

Monitor the radio regularly for news of the fires progress. Keep a spare set of batteries for the radio and a torch on hand.

When the fire becomes close, and unless directed otherwise by emergency services, go inside and remain inside until the fire has passed.

Personal Protection

Before you can confront an oncoming bushfire, you must protect yourself and all others with you from radiant heat. You should wear:

• Sturdy leather footwear with woollen or cotton socks

• Long pants and a long sleeved shirt or jumper (pure wool or cotton offers the best protection from sparks and embers)

• A broad brimmed hat or hard hat if one is available

• Wet towels to drape over neck (leave the ears uncovered, they warn you of heat levels

• Goggles for eye protection

• Handkerchiefs to tie over nose and mouth

• Gloves, if your hands are not used to working with tools

• Bottles of drinking water.

• Do not wear synthetics " wear wool, cotton or denim.

Protection of Children, the Elderly and Pets

If your family has not planned and carried out an early relocation during the approach of a bushfire, you should:

• Keep children, elderly and pets inside the house

• Give them plenty of water and make sure they drink frequently

• Make sure you keep track of their movements.

Outside the Home

The following precautions need to be taken outside the home during the approach of a bushfire. Make sure you drink plenty of water while performing these tasks.

• Wet down the roof, house and garden, especially on the side of the approaching fire

• Block the down pipes and fill them, and gutters, with water

• Close windows and doors and any shutters and fit any screens

• Store all combustible furniture and awnings

• Wet down wood piles and areas of garden mulch.

Inside the Home

Inside your home is usually the safest place to wait out the advent of a bushfire. Make sure you:

• Fill baths, sinks and buckets with water for extinguishing small fires and for drinking water

• Make sure there is ladder access to the roof cavity and place a filled bucket of water in there

• Place wet towels and blankets against gaps under doors and windows

• Close heavy curtains, and shutters, if you have them

• Turn off any gas

• After the fire has passed and for several hours after the fire front has passed, patrol your property and put out spot fires started by flying embers Check roof spaces and floor cavities frequently for spot fires

The Car

In order to protect your car, and to have it readily available in case you need to relocate or evacuate:

• Park in a cleared area

• Close all doors, windows and vents

• Leave the keys in the ignition

• Store woollen blankets inside.