By Kerri-Anne Mesner
RESIDENTS have been urged to undertake fire safety measures to protect their homes after firefighters have been called out to a number of fires in the past few weeks.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade Sunshine station senior station officer Ian Munro said firefighters were called out to three grass fires in St Albans last Tuesday, sparking the need to remind residents to undertake summer fire safety measure to protect their homes.
The St Albans incidents were the latest in a string of fires breaking out in the Brimbank and Melton municipalities. The historical Rockbank General Store burnt down on 20 November, a kitchen fire broke out on 19 November and an elderly couple were trapped inside their Albanvale home by deadlocks when a fire broke out in an adjoining garage on 20 November.
Mr Munro said the Summer Safety program runs each year from December to February to assist home owners be better prepared during the summer season should they be confronted with a fire emergency in their neighbourhood.
The campaign reinforces residents to have an escape plan for both home and surrounding areas, house-keeping tips for around and under the home to minimise fire spread by fuel reduction, driving tips if caught in a bushfire emergency and LPG and natural gas safety.
“The best way to make your property ‘fire resistant’ is to start now by clearing long grass, accumulated rubbish from around the yard and under the house,” Mr Munro said.
“Any person adjacent to a park, creek, river valley or other grassland area should also consider the possibility of ‘ember attack’. “The majority of houses lost in Canberra in 2003 were a result of ember attack, not direct burning by the passing fire.”
Burning embers carried on the wind ahead of a fire front can lodge in crevices around properties and can be carried up to two kilometres.
Mr Munro said one of the key areas to reduce the risk of ember attack is to clean out spouting and gutters of leaves and bark, and to remove leaves and litter from the ground.
Non-combustible ground cover such as sand or gravel close to the house is ideal.
“If a fire occurs in your area, filling your gutters with water can be an asset,” Mr Munro said.
Warnings of fires throughout summer can be heard on the dedicated emergency services broadcaster — 774 ABC Melbourne radio.
For more information about summer safety tips log on to http://mfb.vic.gov.au/asset/PDF/P038SummerSafety.pdf.
