With hot and dry conditions across the Southern Downs and Australia-wide, bushfires pose a very real threat to the Southern Downs region.
Bushfires are unpredictable. They travel faster uphill than downhill, their embers can travel many kilometres and a small fire can become metres high in seconds with a change in wind.
You don’t have to live in the bush to be threatened by bushfire, just close enough to be affected by burning embers or smoke.
It only takes a few weeks of hot, dry and windy weather to create dangerous fire conditions.
Fires can occur in suburbs where houses have grassland, bush or parkland around them.
There are simple things you can do now to prepare your property, like clearing gutters, closing gaps in decks and floors, reducing vegetation around the home and trimming low-lying branches. You can also prepare yourself and your family by discussing what actions you’ll take if there’s a bushfire nearby. These actions and more are all part of your Bushfire Survival Plan. Prepare your home, property and family now and have your Bushfire Survival Plan in place, before bushfire strikes.
It’s also important to tune into warnings and local media, so you know what’s going on in your area during bushfire season.
These actions and more are all part of your Bushfire Survival Plan. Prepare your home, property and family now and have your Bushfire Survival Plan in place, before bushfire strikes.
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Rural Fire Service are encouraging local residents to PREPARE.ACT.SURVIVE this bushfire season.
Further information on bushfire survival plans from the Queensland Rural Fire Service is available at the following link:
For Current Bushfires and warnings visit QFES Bushfires and Warnings or SDRC Disaster Dashboard.
Neighbourhood Safer Places
A Neighbourhood Safer Places is a local open space or building where people can gather as a last resort to seek shelter from a bushfire. Its purpose is to save lives in a bushfire, but it does not guarantee safety in all circumstances.
Neighbourhood Safer Places sites have undergone an assessment process and have met the required selection criteria as Neighbourhood Safer Places - A Place of Last Resort in a Bushfire.
Current Southern Downs Neighbourhood Safer Places are listed here.
Other Resources
Bush Fire Fact Sheets