THE ‘FIRE-HARDY’ HOME

FIRST, assume you’ll be on your own – no fire trucks. Then understand your particular situation and know what you could be dealing with.

Statistics show that far more homes survive when defended. But every place is different: the climate, soils, type of surrounding vegetation (grasslands or bush), proximity to sheds or neighbours, uphill or down, north or south facing slopes, your water source, natural heat and ember shields and so on. Then add into the mix how physically and psychologically robust people might be.

You can do an awful lot to make your home what’s called ‘fire-hardy’. Don’t take a gamble – your home should have the best possible chance to survive a fire, whether you stay