Bushfire Advice

CURRENT ALERT INFORMATION

There are fires burning within the Huon Valley.  Please monitor the Tasmanian Fire Service Website at www.fire.tas.gov.au for any alerts in your area.

You can also visit TasALERT at www.tasalert.com.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 000.

PREPARING FOR FIRE

Being prepared for the bushfire season is essential.  It is important to remember how quickly things can change; bushfires can range from slow moving controllable fires to catastrophic firestorms.

Preparing your property and creating a defendable space will help your home to survive a bushfire.

The Tasmania Fire Service website has many resources on their website to help you make a plan for your family and home.  Visit the website here to learn how to prepare your property and to develop a Bushifre Survival Plan

The Australian Red Cross has developed Rediplan (PDF) which you can also get from our offices.

COMMUNITY BUSHFIRE PROTECTION PLANS

Tasmania Fire Service has prepared a number of Community Bushfire Protection Plans to assist communities with identifying safety options when bushfire threatens, and to support the development of personal Bushfire Survival Plans.   A bushfire protection plan  provides local, community-specific information to assist with bushfire preparation and survival. The focus of the Bushfire Protection Plan is on bushfire safety options, such as Nearby Safer Places, Evacuation Routes and Emergency Information.   We advise you to familiarise yourself with the plan for your area and act on the advice provided by Tasmania Fire Service.

Plans are available for:

Cygnet Franklin Geeveston Glen Huon Grove Huonville-Ranelagh Nicholls Rivulet Pelverata Verona Sands

To view the plans please visit the Tasmania Fire Service Website here.

HUON VALLEY EVACUATION CENTRE

The PCYC Building (located in Huonville) has been identified by the Council and the TFS as the Huon Valley Evacuation Centre.  The building is considered by TFS to be defendable and it has the capacity to accommodate a large number of people, additionally the surrounding Huonville Recreation Ground also provides a number of auxiliary buildings and amenities that will also be available for use i.e. Swimming Pool change rooms, Football Clubrooms, Scout Hall, Public Toilets, Car Parking etc. further increasing the site’s capacity to cope with a high volume of people.

Council’s Huon Valley Emergency Management Plan identifies a number of Council owned buildings/facilities that may also be used during an emergency.

Should a bushfire threaten an area then advanced warnings will be issued by TFS and Council will take TFS advice as to which facilities are safe to open depending on where the threat is coming from.  Should an evacuation be necessary then the Huon Valley Evacuation Centre (PCYC Building) will be activated and people will be directed to make their way there as early as possible.  Alternatively, if late evacuation occurs then people should make their way to the Near By Safer Place identified in the Community Bushfire Protection Plans or to their NBSP identified in their individual Survival Plans.

PREPARING PETS AND LIVESTOCK FOR FIRE

It is important that everyone with animals has at least a basic plan to protect them during a bushfire. You need to do this well before any fire risk, so that everyone in your family knows what to do in an emergency.

Decide in advance when, where and how you will move them if they need to be moved to a safer place.

 Visit the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE) website – Animals and Bushfire Planning – for more information on what to do with livestock and pets in the event of a fire emergency. It is important to ensure your own safety before the safety of your pets and livestock. Many people have died during bushfires whilst trying to save pets and livestock. Relocate pets to a safe place as early as possible, well before a fire front approaches. Move livestock to large, well-grazed or irrigated paddocks and ensure they have plenty of water. If you have small animals (dogs, cats, birds, rabbits etc.), identify a room within the house where they can be confined so they do not interfere with your efforts in protecting your property or livestock and so they do not run off into greater danger. You don’t want to be caught in a fire because you were trying to catch panicking animals. Bring food, water, bedding and woollen blankets, a pet first-aid kit, collar and lead and any medications with you when you evacuate. Keep a copy of your pet’s immunisation records in your fire evacuation kit or ‘go bag’ – they might be required at boarding or holding facilities if you evacuate your pets. Do not look for pets during a fire. You must seek shelter because radiant heat can kill quickly.

The Ranelagh Recreation Ground has been identified by Council and the TFS as the most suitable site to accommodate livestock such as horses.  Establishment of an emergency site here will be undertaken in conjunction with Council and the Huon Agricultural Society.

AIR QUALITY

Tasmania has some of the cleanest air in the world. But we do have periods each year when it can get smoky outside. Smoke reduces the quality of the air we breathe and it also affects our health.   If you are concerned about the impact smoke can have on your health visit the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services  air quality information website  https://dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/air

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERTS FOR EXTREME HEAT 

Department of Health and Human Services have produced the following information for coping with extreme heat.  Some people may experience the effects of hot weather more than others, so it’s important to know what these effects are, who is at risk and what you can do.

To find out more visit www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/peh/alerts/standing_health_alerts/extreme_heat