Fire in the trees

[backstairs]

Up here in Laguna we got high winds and brushwood in flames. At the moment black bits are falling into my pool and a fire alarm is whistling. There is a river between us. But what do you do if it gets nearer? Prepare a bag of valuables next to your car keys?

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[Somtamnication]

Get a water pump on the ready. You are lucky you have some water between you and hell!

[Flying Clog]

Where in Laguna? I've got a house there but I'm in South Africa at the moment! ----Yikes!

[backstairs]

Between Laguna and. Ban Don. Close to Two Villas and the new Nikki Hotel building site.

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[Flying Clog]

oh bugger, that's right next to my house....

[LivinginKata]

oh bugger, that's right next to my house....

Double Yikes .... I hope you have a friend that can take care of this potential problem. Really no wind down here in Kata.

[backstairs]

Things have calmed. Two fire trucks came and dampened it down. Ash everywhere. Stink in the air. Life goes on. But keep an eye out wherever you are. We had two hours of fear and feelings of helplessness.

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[NomadJoe]

Things have calmed. Two fire trucks came and dampened it down. Ash everywhere. Stink in the air. Life goes on. But keep an eye out wherever you are. We had two hours of fear and feelings of helplessness.

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And one more month of high season. It's very brown around already.

[nedkellylives]

Make sure all doors and windows are closed and hose down the roof and walls

if water is available, standard procedure in the Australian bush

Edited March 8, 2014 by nedkellylives

[xen]

Having grown up in rural Australia we always had a bush fire plan.

There are a lot of differing opinions on what to do and it depends on the type of fire - forest or grass as they both have different characteristics but these are a few of the things i would do - I would stay and fight rather than run but that is a personal decision.

• block up all the downpipes and fill the gutters with water
• turn off and disconnect all gas
• make sure you have torches with full batteries
• Make sure nobody is wearing synthetic clothes , wool or cotton is best.
• fill the bath and any other pots, buckets with water ( remember you may not have electricity to run your pumps.
• If you are on town water the pressure will drop because everybody will be running water.
• soak some blankets in the bath or tub of water - if the fire passes the house you can put the blankets over yourself to protect yourself (and family members) and it also filters the air and smoke . Also wet blankets can be used to swot out minor fires.
• hose all the areas outside the house with water , remembering the temperature of the day and the fire will evaporate most of what you hose down, there fore it becomes important to manually put out the spot fires after the fire has passed.
• then bring all the hoses into the house as if you leave them out the fire will melt them , same with plastic buckets and pvc pipe to your pump and within your property..
• as the fire approaches move to the far side of the house and as the fire passes move to the area the fire has already been through or better still stay in the downstairs bathroom with the full buckets and bath of water.
• If you must leave, leave early as there could be congestion on the roads and also you do not want to block emergency vehicles.
• And most importantly keep everybody calm,

There are a few websites you can google on bush fire survival

Hope this helps and good luck .

[Somtamnication]

Scary stuff. Good ideas about preparations.

[backstairs]

Thank you Xen. Great list. You know I never even thought about the gas bottle in the garden. I have been up to the adjacent field. It is very black. The great thought is that it wont catch fire there again for a long time. Be careful. It could begin near you today.

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