Victorian Bushfires

[Jovial Monk]

Who?

Showing your age there JW!

[Jovial Monk]

Listening to survivor stories one thing really struck me: the sheer force of embers blowing in front of an approaching bush fire. These things don't just drop onto your roof or lawn: survivors told of embers smashing in through gaps around doorways, of windows blowing in!

So, surely stuff like solid metal shutters to go over doorways should be compulsory? Not talking of little aluminium rollershutters, solid metal. Alternatively could verandahs be made so they can be cranked down (with metal verandah posts folding up etc) so there is unbroken metal all around the house? Again, would need to be a bit thicker than the present roofing sheets. (Back in the 80s I owned (with a partner) a big old villa in Pt Elliot and we had to replace a lot of roofing iron: fuck but that old iron was like 3 times heavier than the modern stuff!)

The other thing seems to be the roof cavity is a major source of weakness in the defences against fires: I heard that once a fire took hold in the roof cavity the house is gone! So, can we design roofs (metal or tiled) to keep out embers? Make rafters and joists out of steel not timber, with pressed metal ceilings and fire-proof ceiling insulation? Or a big shallow steel pan, covering entire ceiling, that could be filled with water on days of high fire risk? Say 5cm deep?

Materials that can be used in these areas (wall, roof, floor etc) design rules about siting houses etc etc all need to be thought about and incorporated in design rules.

Re development rules: each hamlet/township located in high-risk bushfire areas should be served by wide roads, at least 4 lanes, with trees bulldozed for say 100 yards on either side because, again, lots of people died because roads were blocked by fallen & burning trees & branches. Also, should be able to evacuate while emergency services vehicles race int he opposite direction.

Yes, this will increase the cost of houses located in bush etc and maybe that is not a bad thing: the fewer people that live in the middle of eucalyptus forests the better!

[Jovial Monk]

In SA there is a proactive program, Operation Nomad.

On total fireban days the cops visit those known/strongly suspected of being arsonists and tell them they are under observation and not to visit high fire risk areas. Licence plate cameras are deployed in the Hills and are programmed with the registration number details of the aronists and their associates. Cop cars also patrol the Hills. (The Adelaide Hills are is the most vulnerable to bush fires and it doesn't take a long drive from town to a place where a bushfire could be deliberately started.)

As you know, SA did not suffer any major fire at all this year. May be an idea to contact your local Premier and urge them to adopt similar programs. Lots of Vic fires were deliberately lit according to reports and some fires were even RE-lit!

http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/news.php?id=4315&page=1

Get onto your MP and get them to introduce this Australia-wide!

[Jovial Monk]

Some families sheltered in concrete underground bunkers and survived. So add these to the design rules?

[Jovial Monk]

http://www.jovialmonk.com.au/KevinRuddW ... f=16&t=121

[boxy]

Are you insane?

Rules to mandate solid metal shutters and concrete bunkers?

Don't build in forests and scrubland.

Don't decide to stay, and then when it's too late, try to run.

[Jovial Monk]

No not insane, again just thinking aloud. People WILL build in stupid places!

[White Indigene]

There you go WI, donate to the victims!

http://shop.bendigobank.com.au/public/foundation/

Would if I could Bastard.

Over & Goodbye.

[Jovial Monk]

You can also donate blood WI.

[Jovial Monk]

Have emailed PM Rudd, suggesting a Minister for Natural Disasters be appointed to PM&C with responsibility for following up on disaster inquiries and making sure followup is done. Doubt it will be done but for FUCKS SAKE nothing was done after Canberra & the fires on York Pen here!