NOW is the time for people living in the Goulburn Valley to prepare and take stock of what they need to do to stay safe this fire season.
Victorians share the responsibility of bushfire safety and now is the time to prepare your properties and talk to your loved ones about how to stay safe this fire season.
Follow some simple planning and preparation tips to make sure you’re ready for the upcoming bushfire season:
- Move furniture, woodpiles and mulch away from windows, decks and eaves
- Prune tree branches so they are not overhanging the roof or touching walls
- Keep grass shorter than 10cm. Regularly remove leaves and twigs. Don’t have plants higher than 10cm in front of windows or glass doors
- Before you leave, make sure you remove all flammable items from around your home. Houses have been lost from things as simple as embers landing on a doormat
- Check that your home and contents insurance includes a level of cover in line with current building standards and regulations
- Download the VicEmergency app now so you know how it works
- Decide where you will go and what you’ll do with your pets
- Create an emergency kit so you are ready to leave quickly and calmly
- Get batteries for your radio, and consider getting power banks to extend your mobile phone’s ‘life’ in case of emergency
