BEFORE A BUSHFIRE - Building and Renovating

If you currently live, or plan to build, in a bushfire prone area, there are many precautions you can take to help protect your home and maximise your safety.

If planning to build or renovate, key steps include ensuring an appropriate building site location, using suitable building materials, ensuring proximity to independent water resources, managing the vegetation surrounding the building and clearing debris close to the building. It is also important to ensure your property is accessible for emergency vehicles.

The Building Commission recommends the following to help reduce the risk of damage to homes in bushfire prone areas:

• Use building materials appropriate for the conditions and your Bushfire Attack Level(BAL)
• Remove any overhanging tree branches, take out shrubs over 1 metre next to or below windows, keep grass short and clean up other debris near your building site or home that could easily catch fire to help provide some defendable space
• Follow the step-by-step guide to protecting your home from fire by downloading the Country Fire Authority (CFA) Fire Ready Kit from www.cfa.vic.gov.au or phoning Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667 for a copy
• Ensure you have a Bushfire Survival Plan  in place and practise it regularly
• Get involved in community meetings about fire preparedness in the neighbourhood. Go to the CFA website for meeting details
• If you have a full rainwater tank near your home, ensure it is accessible.