Brown Hill? Are you bushfire ready?

For more detailed information access the Brown Hill FireAware Network web pages, starting with: What you need to know when you CAN'T leave

This is the anchor page for the Network and the starting point for understanding bushfire risk to the urban-rural fringe suburb of Brown Hill. Here you will find what the fire science says, what it means for your street and your house, and what you can do about it.

Briefly the bushfire risk to Brown Hill

The late Dr Kevin Tolhurst AM, one of Australia’s most respected fire scientists, stood on the Wallaby Track and spoke directly to the residents of Brown Hill. He described the worst-case scenario that residents could face under Catastrophic or Extreme fire weather conditions.

The key points Kevin raised were:

• Brown Hill is one of the worst bushfire risk areas in Ballarat;
• Embers are a massive threat with potential for backyards catching fire;
• Houses close together are the main risk of house-to-house ignition;
• There aren’t enough firefighters and fire trucks to protect all the houses.

Kevin provided his risk assessments in 2017, Nothing since has reduced that risk. Climate projections since 2017 have only strengthened his conclusions. Extreme fire danger days are becoming more frequent, not less.

This video provides the risk assessment for Brown Hill residents

Dr Kevin Tolhurst video

Living in an urban-rural fringe suburb: what residents can do

Preparing for a bushfire event where housing is closely spaced is different from preparing a rural property. The latest fire science and research provides far more specific guidelines for these urban-rural fringe residents.

Fire science research, expert assessments, and official guidance answers the question: What can residents actually do? Three fire scientists, working independently, land on the same point:

• Kevin Tolhurst: "When houses are closer than about ten metres to each other, they become a real threat to their neighbours."
• Jack Cohen (USDA), who developed the Home Ignition Zone concept: houses ignite from embers landing "within 5 feet [1.5m] of flammable walls and attachments" — not from the fire front itself.
• Justin Leonard (CSIRO): “Invariably, the greatest risk by fire is ember attack and the surface fire that ignites houses... Zero to 1.5m: It really is the most critical. I can’t overemphasise that as a guiding principle.”

That 0 to 1.5m zone, "Zone Zero," around the perimeter of a house, is entirely within a resident's control. This is the 1st of 3 zones. However, things get complicated when housing is closely spaced: your zones and your neighbours can overlap. This moves it from an isolated house solution to a collective neighbourhood response, for collective preparation. It is the compromised reality of where we live and the housing type we live in.

Wanting to know more about that compromised reality, and what to do about it? The QR code will take you to the Network’s anchor page, “What you need to know when you CAN’T leave”. If you’re thinking “but we plan to leave early so this doesn’t apply to us” — it applies to you most of all. Also can access through this link: Brown Hil FireAware Network

Home Ignition Zone and Zone zero

The Home Ignition Zone is the basis for all preparation for a bushfire event and starts well before any event may happen. The HIZ consists of 3 zones:

• Zone Zero (0-1.5m)
• Intermediate Zone (1.5-10m)
• Extended Zone (10-30m)

The Home Ignition Zone research sets out an ideal: a clear Zone Zero immediately against your house, managed zones extending to 30 metres. On closely spaced blocks, you can reach your neighbour’s fence before you reach Zone One. This is not a failure of preparation. It is the structural reality of closely spaced housing — and it changes what “lowering your risk” means.

This image sets out the basics of HIZ. For greater understanding of how your preparation relates to these zones best to start with the anchor page (QR code above)

Your Zone Zero is yours to control, and it is the highest-value action available to you. But your full ember risk extends beyond your boundary, into zones that belong to your neighbours, just as theirs extend into yours. This diagram shows how every house’s ignition zone overlaps with the houses around it. This is where collective action is required rather than treating single houses in isolation.

A few priorities for the bushfire season...

Don’t be surprised – put your plan into action as soon as any bushfire weather is forecast

Keep an eye on the weather for Brown Hill (as well as your own observation):

Keep informed about FIRE RATINGS and WARNINGS for Brown Hill and surrounds:

Tune into ABC BALLARAT radio 107.9 FM on high risk days

Pre-season checklist

Before the bushfire season, it’s important to prepare your property and your family.

• Know your risk and understand what may happen and remember that the reality may be much worse
• Prepare yourself and family and your home
• Prepare your emergency kits
• Prepare and practice your plan

Do you know what radiant heat is?

Radiant heat can kill. You need to cover up, dress to protect yourself and take refuge form direct heat. In the past, people have been caught in bushfires wearing light summer dresses, shorts, singlets and even swimsuits. They usually die without the flames even touching their exposed skin. The real risks of bushfire are dehydration and heat stroke which can lead to unconsciousness and death.

If you put your hand near an open flame, an electric heater element or electric light bulb, you can feel the radiant heat it generates. Draw your hand away and the amount of heat on your skin decreases. Put something between your skin and the heat source and again, your skin immediately feels cooler. This is the key to protecting yourself from radiant heat in bushfires - distance and shielding protect you from dangerous exposure.

Bushfires usually occur on hot days. You and your family may be in shorts or swimsuits and bare feet and sandals. Remember, the deadly effects of radiant heat are increased by the amount of skin exposed to it. So as soon as you know there are bushfires in your area, cover up! Fire fighters wear protective gear to survive. So, should you.

Cover up—put on protective clothing like long pants and a shirt, or overalls made from natural fibres, not sythetics. The suits firefighters wear are not simply a fashion statement. Even a woolen blanket is better than no protection. Source: Australian Academy of Science

Protective clothing is essential if you are anywhere near a bushfire. See video below. NOTE: A popular myth is to moisten or wet clothing or face masks.  This may stop the item from burning, but is a serious burn hazard to a person’s skin because the moisture or steam from the wet fabric is much more likely to scold and burn a person’s skin than will dry material.  Water at only 60 degrees Celsius, in contact with skin, is enough to burn it.  Keep all protective clothing dry.  The clothing helps shield the body from radiation and a dry mask will help reduce smoke and particle inhalation.

• Radiant heat is many times hotter than the air temperature.
• The front of a moving fire radiates up to six times more heat than its back.
• Radiant heat only radiates in straight lines and will not penetrate solid objects.
• Although it may not set a building on fire, it can crack and break windows, allowing embers to enter your home.
• Bushfires radiate a more significant amount of heat than grassfires.

Do you know what an ember attack looks like?

Footage showing what an ember attack looks like during a major bushfire. Footage from Canberra fires 2003 provided for use by CFA for community safety educational use courtesy Nine Network.

Clear up or clear out

Are you mentally prepared for a bushfire?

Access the CFS Fact Sheet here

Dr. Rob Gordon, a renowned psychologist and trauma expert, talks about disaster preparedness. This video explains how a bushfire impacts you mentally and emotionally, and what to do to help your chances of both survival and recovery. Rob also worked with Scotsburn fire survivors locally in 2015.

Wanting more information based on sound science?

Bushfire Resilience Incorporated (BRI) is a not-for-profit Incorporated Association. The purpose of the association is to facilitate the provision of information about bushfires to the community.Their objective is to provide high-quality, evidence-based, cost-free, best practice bushfire knowledge to people living with bushfire risk.BRI provides information to people living with bushfire risk. They have been providing  free webinars since 2020 with new series being added every year since.

The topics selected are delivered by eminent subject-matter experts who provide thought-provoking, relevant, practical and evidence-based information. They want to raise awareness about risks while at the same time providing information that inspires people to take action. In addition to webinar recordings, a wide range of Bitesize content is available from their website. Access their website here.

This page has been prepared by Hazen, Brown Hill FireAware Network Coordinator