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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