Fire Shelter or Fire Bunker, what should you do?
The threat of bushfire haunts many people throughout the world. How often on the evening news do we see footage of homes being lost despite the best efforts of firefighters in places as far afield as Los Angeles to Athens, not ignoring of course our own dry continent. My home state of Victoria was devastated last summer when a wild fire of unprecedented ferocity descended on it’s rural and mountain communities on a day remembered as Black Saturday. Many lives were lost and hundreds of properties destroyed as a result.
In the aftermath of this disaster many questions have been asked concerning what could have been done to safeguard us against the threat posed by bushfire. One suggestion that continues to surface again and again is the use of purpose built fire shelters.
For the last few decades authorities have relied upon a policy commonly known as stay or go. In the event of high fire risk, well prepared residents were encouraged to protect their own homes while those unable to do so were told that they should leave the threatened area well before the fire arrived. The unprecedented intensity of Black Saturday completely overwhelmed this policy with even the best prepared home owners unable to combat the fire and those trying to leave were caught by fires spotting up to fifteen kilometres in front of the main fire front. It is suggested by many experts that with the advent of global warming and prolonged droughts we can expect more wild fires that will match the ferocity of Black Saturday. This is the reason people are considering the use of fire shelters as a sensible response to the threat of bush fire.
The use of fire shelters or bunkers is certainly not a new idea. As our country was developed, forestry was a major industry which employed many people who lived with their families scattered through out the forests. Fire shelters comprised a major component of their fire safety plans. These shelters were located near townships or timber mills and their location was known to all the people of the district. Over time these shelters fell into disrepair or were removed by government as the focus of bush fire survival centred on preparing individual properties to cope with fire attack.
As you have no doubt noticed with your search of the internet a number of businesses have anticipated the publics interest in shelters and have offered a number of different types. These shelters vary widely in both price and sophistication, ranging from a hole in the ground lined with timber or sandbags, converted shipping containers to purpose built shelters constructed from reinforced concrete and fire rated steel. While a number of these facilities look extremely well designed it must be noted that there is currently no approved design standard for fire shelters, only the individual construction materials can be fire rated.
In the past it was commonly held that a shelter was only required during the initial passing of the fire front, a period of about fifteen minutes during which the radiant heat reached it’s peak. Experts studying the effects of Black Saturday however estimate that in some areas this radiant heat effect would have remained fatal for up to two hours. Bearing this in mind anyone considering purchasing a shelter should be certain that their shelter can withstand prolonged exposure to intense heat and also provide an adequate supply of clean air. Some shelters come with air tanks while others use an air filtering system but any using oxygen tanks should probably be avoided as oxygen is highly explosive when exposed to flame.
For many people the choice of shelter will depend on a number of factors, these being cost, level of threat and the number of people who might use it. The cost of the shelter might be defrayed amongst a number of neighbours which would allow for a more sophisticated unit. If you are considering investing in a fire shelter it seems obvious to do your home work and consider your choices carefully and while many of us are feeling threatened by the approaching fire season it might be prudent to wait until the relevant
authorities have had a chance to set the appropriate standards.
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September 3rd, 2010
If you are inquiring for hints about Gel Fire Bowls We aim to support you in your enquiry.
With the advent of every summer comes the renewed threat of bushfires and Gel Fire Bowls. It is a wise home owner who begins to plan for the fire season well before the hottest weather arrives.
Your local fire brigade is a terrific first choice when contemplating where to turn for fire safety advice. When establishing your fire plan consider things like removing flammable materials, creating an adequate fire break, building a community communication network and guaranteeing an adequate water supply.
This sort of plan is usually suggested to those in the community considered to be able to handle the physical and mental rigors of fighting a wild fire. Anyone who doubts their fire fighting abilities should plan to evacuate at the first sign of danger. It is held by authorities that a home with an advanced fire protection plan is the best place to shelter during an advancing fire and that any escape measures should be taken well in advance of any approaching fire to avoid being caught in your vehicle which offers little protection.
The stay or go policy has been in effect in Victoria for the last few decades and until recently had served us relatively well but last summer we experienced a wild fire of unprecedented ferocity which claimed many lives and destroyed many millions of dollars worth of property. The Black Saturday fire is considered to be unique in its ferocity, coming as it did on a forty five degree plus day after a decade of drought and being driven by a hundred kilometer an hour wind but experts warn that we will see conditions like this more often with the advent of global warming. Many people are now calling for new planning measures to be put in place.
One of the most frequently asked for measures is the establishment of both community and private fire shelters. Many Australians whose homes border bush land are now thinking about putting in their own shelters. Before going ahead and buying or building a shelter one should evaluate all of the discussion surrounding the subject.
Shelters on the market today can vary markedly as they are not required to meet any industry standards. Years ago a shelter might have been nothing more than a hole in the ground, lined with logs and then buried under some dirt but there were many instances where these make shift bunkers were sadly inadequate. Fire shelter retailers today have recognized the need for a better built product and today?s shelters include such features as reinforced concrete walls, fire rated steel doors ,integrated air filtering, flashing lights and first aid kits. This standard of safety does not come cheap.
The cost of shelters will vary of course depending on the level of safety and sophistication provided. For example there are a number of proprietors currently offering shipping containers and water tanks featuring various modifications that might satisfy some buyers. Before purchasing any sort of shelter you must consider the level of threat you might reasonably face. A shipping container for instance could provide enough protection from radiant heat if located out in a paddock but it is questionable whether it could protect people from the prolonged period of convection heat they might experience in a dense forest environment.
While the debate over the effectiveness of fire shelters continues there is no doubt that those of us living in high fire danger areas will keep a close watch and many of us will go ahead and install some form of shelter. In closing I would just like to advise anybody thinking about putting in a shelter – Gel Fire Bowls, to do all their home work first and buy the best that you can afford. Please keep safe this summer.
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