Fire Ready

[AB]

Thought I would start a general thread about being fire ready and general chats in fire prone areas of Australia.

Most of us have lived in these areas our whole lives but after Black Saturday it has changed our views on safety and surroundings.

I was a lucky duck that day and the fires missed my property by about 400m. Whilst trying to soak my house down and seeing the fire right on my door step I gave up and left at the last minute like most of us and of course had no plan at all. Very silly!

Got caught out trying to get more water in town coming up the hill which honestly scares the pants off you seeing the power of the fire right beside your 4x4 as It's overheating trying to climb a hill with a tonne of water putting along like a snail.

Ever since that day I have dedicated a lot of time in researching the best way to protect bush homes and would like any input on your views for protetcing your home, family or any comments at all related.

Ive spent a lot of money on fire gear and have been researching bunkers, sprinklers, irrigation, pressure, head and the latest technology in fire fighting with remote sensors and activations of pumps, etc.

I'm passionate about this subject so when summer comes back around I'll have a lot of knowledge and photos to show everyone but thought I would show you guys what my plans are so far...

We are building (and selling) 100,000 litre concrete water tanks. My house is the first one to get built so Iv'e excavted a cut and we have just finished the base of the tank which you can see below.

The tank holds 101,000 litres. The base is 200mm thick, walls will be 150mm thick and the entire structure is 8.4m in diameter X 2.2m high. Fully engineered and is one gigantic water tank!

More photos to come soon as it progresses.


Base preperation on hard clay ground, no fill.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2010/08/1.jpg


Base frame up, all wacked and string line measured out for framework placement.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2010/08/2.jpg


Pouring concrete, everyones busy now...lol
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2010/08/3.jpg

Screening to have a smooth finish for the walls to sit on.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2010/08/4.jpg


Stage 1 complete, base all done and ready for the walls.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2010/08/5.jpg


Please feel free to add any comments and suggestions on how your protecting your home or feel free to share any stories. i've just started this thread as the royal commision report just came out which has sparked stories around Victoria again.

Reference = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/01/2970015.htm?section=justin

I have a million ideas and stories both good and bad but will slowly add to this as the months go by.

[DX grunt]

Here's the WA government's website for the Fire and Emergency Service Authority (FESA). I've gone direct to the info I think would be helpful.

http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/internet/default.aspx?MenuID=430

Take care out there.

Ross

[AB]

Great reply mate and everything you mentioned is spot on!

It was amazing seeing some footage of people fighting the fires half cut with thongs and board shorts....frigging amazing!

I don't think my house could get any worse for fire protection. Old weatherboard home, north facing, big balcony, on a ridge surrounded by acres of heavy bush.

I wasn't really looking for any professional advice on here, just general thoughts and chats from people. I know a fair bit now from researching, just thought i would tell a story and show you guys some pics and progressions of what I'm doing. you know a bit too mate which is good to know.

My plan is to get the hell out of here but want to ensure if we cant get out i atleast have a plan B set up.

To date I have a complete set up consisting of the following...


Fire suit with fire retardant liquid soaked into the fibres prior to been stitched. CFA jackets are only painted on afterwards so if your wife washes them then the retardant can come off.
Fire boots that are moulded one piece. Many peoples soles came off in the fires when the stitching burnt. Not good running around in bare feet.
Miners ice jacket. This is a great new product. It's two gel packs that sit on your chest and back which keep your body at 10 degrees for 4 hours.
full head set with cotton underlay and helmet.
Full length retardant gloves that come up past your wrists to stop embers coming in.
Full face goggles
lightweight backpack liquid holder with hose connecting through helmet to the mouth.
fire hoses x 2 (36 metres)
Tank will eventually be hooked up to roof sprinklers, etc - another story to come.
Uniden scanner - MUST HAVE!
I could keep going on and on but ill stop now..haha
Cheers for the comments mate, appreciate it!

[AB]

Exactly right Plassy, The tank and shed is about 50m from the house.

I dont think I'm going to bother to try and protect the house from burning down.

It's raised, old and then tin is only nailed down....my insurance is maxed out so there's just no point in spending thousands of dollars trying to protect it.

My plan is to bunker inside the tank with all the gear and build a monsoon type irrigation set up around the tank and shed...lol....Gotta save the shed!

Might sound funny but I'm tempted to get scuba gear and just sit at the bottom of the tank until it passes over incase oxygen is sucked out of the tank from feeding the main front.

[DX grunt]

I was born and raised around the area where Black Saturday hit and felt some of the devestation from here.

Hope my donation got to the right place, too.

Two words keep sticking in my mind from the documentary I saw on WA TV.......'radiant heat'

Hopefully people will learn something from your postings. God bless you and your family.

Take care out there.

Ross
DX grunt

[AB]

oh for sure Plassy, no chance in hell that i will be there, no chance in hell!!!

My plan = gone!!!

But theres only two ways out which is covered with overhanging trees.

You never know, incase it came up all of a sudden with out warning or couldnt get out for some reason then at least I would then have a second plan and a set up, throw the family in the concrete water tank and let the monsoon drench the area.

[AB]

Cheers Rossco, no blessings needed for me mate.

The guy in the photo above who was pouring the concrete lost his home and to this day his family is still living in his mates shed because the government have not allowed him to build yet.

Their still deciding on what category his property falls into for what type of home needs to be built. It's been 18 months already, just work it out so all these people can bloody start building.

There's still heaps of people living in sheds and caravans around that area.

When summer comes back around I think you guys should have a think about getting a Uniden Scanner.

They cost around $220 but may save your life. We can't rely on the radio or news but atleast having a scanner you can hear first hand what is going on if there are fires in your area.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2010/08/6.jpg
http://www.uniden.com.au

[Timbo]

I think now we need a pic of Andy in his fire fighting get-up striking a pose!

[AB]

I think now we need a pic of Andy in his fire fighting get-up striking a pose!

It might end up on some crazy pin up website...lol

[locks]

Hope this doesnt offend any of you guys but after reading this i did some googling and found the news report of that day with a gallery of the pictures. I cannot believe what i saw with how massive that fire was and how devasting it was to Victoria. Here's a link to a gallery from news.com.au.

Warning, do not enter this site if you dont feel up to it.

http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,22010,5037339-5006020,00.html

[Finly Owner]

Andy that's an awesome tank. I've done making tanks onsite and it's hardwork. and I can see it will take some labour to make it all come together. I congradulate you on your forsight. Hope you can make lots a sales.

[AB]

No offense taken at all I would imagine Locks, all good!

Cheers Finly - Did you use the sure stop rubber around the base for the cold joins on the walls or did you build them differently to this?

[NissanGQ4.2]

How are all you guys going?

Knew of the Tassie fires, but didn't know of any bad ones in VIC until seeing a post on FB from CFA.

We here in the Blue Mountains have had a scorcher the past week or so but lucky for us nothing has really started and not had a great deal of wind 2 push anything into something big

[NissanGQ4.2]

AB what was the rough cost building a tank that size?

[AB]

AB what was the rough cost building a tank that size?

Arrrr the old duck pond.

Ran out of time and money unfortunately mate but something like that wouldn’t be much left out of 20k mate.


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[NissanGQ4.2]

Arrrr the old duck pond.

Ran out of time and money unfortunately mate but something like that wouldn’t be much left out of 20k mate.


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So your tank never got finished? Ouch 20k :(

[AB]

So your tank never got finished? Ouch 20k :(

Nope unfortunately mate.


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[NissanGQ4.2]

I know there are some here from WA, so if any are near the Emergency alert.... stay safe and wishing you all a very safe outcome.

I was watching this yesterday and thought they would of got some containment's in over night but heard on the radio this arvo confirmed houses lost and was still at Emergancy, fire has certainly grown since I looked last night :(

Edit: Just hear 30 property losses on the news :(

82856

82857

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[Maxhead]

I know there are some here from WA, so if any are near the Emergency alert.... stay safe and wishing you all a very safe outcome.

I was watching this yesterday and thought they would of got some containment's in over night but heard on the radio this arvo confirmed houses lost and was still at Emergancy, fire has certainly grown since I looked last night :(

Edit: Just hear 30 property losses on the news :(

82856

82857

82858

Yeah it’s going off mate.

That’s what happens when you lock everyone up, the fires keep raging[emoji6]


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[NissanGQ4.2]

Yeah it’s going off mate.

That’s what happens when you lock everyone up, the fires keep raging[emoji6]


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Only news reported so not sure how true it is but sounds like people where not leaving because of Covid lock down.... FFS!!!!

[NissanGQ4.2]

Just heard 56 homes lost :(

[Avo]

Yep it went from 400hct last night to 7000 today... a high down south a cyclone brewing up north pushing alot of high winds in that area....
My kids on standby n ready to roll....shes a freak...n we love her

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