Bushfire Report

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Queensland Fire and Emergency Services




Neighbourhood Safer                                         Bushfire Warnings                                                              Fire Danger Rating
Places (NSP)                                                If you receive a warning about a bushfire or other emergency,
                                                            take notice – it could save your life.
                                                                                                                                           The Fire Danger Rating (FDR) is an early indicator of potential
                                                                                                                                           danger, and should act as your first trigger for action. The higher
An NSP is a local open space or building where people                                                                                      the rating, the greater the need for you to act.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Information Guide
                                                            There are three types of alert messages to help you make the
may gather, as a last resort, to seek shelter from a                                                                                       The FDR is an assessment of the potential fire behaviour, the
                                                            right safety choices:
bushfire. Use of an NSP may be your contingency plan                                                                                       difficulty of suppressing a fire, and the potential impact on the
when:                                                       Bushfire Advice Message – a fire has started – general                         community should a bushfire occur on a given day.
                                                            information to keep you up to date.
• your Bushfire Survival Plan has failed;                                                                                                  A Fire Danger Index (FDI) of ‘low–moderate’ means that the fire
• the extent of the fire means you have planned to stay,    Bushfire Watch and Act Message – represents a                                  will burn slowly and that it will be easily controlled, whereas a FDI
                                                            heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing, a fire is                 in excess of ‘catastrophic 100+’ means that the fire will burn so
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Are you bushfire prepared?
  but your home cannot withstand the impact of the fire
  and, therefore, is not a safe place to shelter;           approaching; lives may come under threat. Take appropriate                     fast and hot, it will be uncontrollable.                                Are your family and home at risk?
• the fire has escalated to an extreme or catastrophic      action.
  level and relocation is your safest option.               Bushfire Emergency Warning – is the highest level message                                                                                               Do you live within a few      Do you have trees and
                                                            advising of impending danger. It may be preceded with the                                                                                                kilometres of bushland?        shrubs within 20 m of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    your house?




                                                                                                                                                                    VERY
The main purpose of an NSP is to provide some level of      Standard Emergency Warning




                                                                                                                                                                                 RE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Does your local area
protection to human life from the effects of a bushfire.




                                                                                                                                                                                   E
                                                            Signal (SEWS).                                                                                                                                           have a bushfire history?      Is your ‘Bushfire




                                                                                                                                                                               SEV
                                                                                                                                                                       HIGH
                                                                                                                                                                                                E




                                                                                                                                                           HI
Your NSP will not guarantee safety in all circumstances.                                                                                                                                                                                            Survival Plan’ more
                                                                                                                                                                                             EM




                                                                                                                                                            GH
The following limitations of an NSP need                     An Emergency Warning means there is a threat                                          LO                                     TR                        Is your home built on a        than one year old?
                                                                                                                                                     W–                                 EX                           slope?
to be considered if you plan to use one as a last resort:      to lives, and protective action is required                                               MO
                                                                                                                                                             DE
• Firefighters may not be present, as they may be
                                                                              immediately.                                                                      RA
                                                                                                                                                                  TE                   CATASTROPHIC
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions,

  fighting the main fire front elsewhere.                                                                                                                                                                          you may be at risk in the event of a bushfire.

• NSPs do not cater for animals or pets.                                                                                                        You don’t have to live in the bush to be threatened
• NSPs do not provide meals or amenities.                                                                                                       by bushfire, just close enough to be affected
                                                                                                                                                by burning material, embers and smoke. For
• NSPs may not provide shelter from the elements,
                                                                                                                                                Queensland residents, that can be just about
  particularly flying embers.
                                                                                                                                                anywhere.
• If you are a person with special needs, you should
  give consideration to what assistance you may require                                                                                         Everyone has a part to play in bushfire mitigation,
  at an NSP.                                                                                                                                    and it is vitally important that we all take steps to
                                                                                                                                                ensure we PREPARE . ACT . SURVIVE . this bushfire
Although QFES cannot guarantee an immediate presence                                                                                            season.
during a bushfire, every effort will be made to provide                facebook.com/QldFireandRescueService
support as soon as resources are available.

Not all areas will have a designated NSP, and a
register can be found on the Rural Fire Service                        twitter.com/QldFES or @QldFES
Queensland’s website www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au.
Remember to regularly visit the website for changes and
                                                                                                                             Ver 01/2015
updates.                                                               youtube.com/FireRescueQld                                                 To find out more information visit
                                                                                                                                                      www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au