18 hours ago
8
While summer in Australia is generally a time of celebration and spending time with friends and family, it's also one of the most dangerous seasons in the country due to extreme heat and bushfires.
And though fire bans are set in place to help reduce the risk, authorities continue to send out warnings as firefighters and volunteers grapple with waves of fires across the country.
But if you live or happened to commute through a bushfire prone area, what should you do if you’re caught in a blaze?
In Victoria – where numerous fire emergency warnings have remained in place across numerous vulnerable areas – the Country Fire Authority (CFA) said the best course of action if drivers are travelling through a bushfire affected area is to turn around and drive to a safe area.
“Driving during a bushfire is extremely dangerous and can result in serious injury or death; always plan to leave early to avoid this situation,” the CFA advised on its website.
In situations where these areas aren’t accessible, the CFA advised parking off the road with your hazard lights on is the safest way to avoid car crashes, which “are common in bushfires due to poor visibility”.
According to NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) Inspector, James Morris, driving during a bushfire isn't encouraged, though sometimes it may be necessary.
“We prefer people not to be driving through bushfires or smoky areas, but every situation and and people's experiences are different,” Morris told Drive.
“If you do [drive through a bushfire affected area] it's important to drive to the conditions, try and drive with your headlights or hazard lights on and turn off your air conditioning or at the very least have your recirculation on to try and limit the amount of smoke getting in the car,” he added.
If drivers do encounter a fire and can't find a safe shelter, the NSW RFS Inspector advised it's important to take numerous steps to increase their chance of survival.
“Park the car on the opposite of the road to where the fire is coming from and park the [bonnet of the car] towards the direction of where the fire is coming from. Roll your windows up and turn your headlights on. Get down below the windows and put wool blankets over you [and other passengers] and stay hydrated. That will give them the best chance of survival should they be in a situation where a fire is over running them,” he said.
Experts said the best chance of remaining safe during bushfire season is to prepare for the worst case scenario and if possible, leave the area early to mitigate the risk.
“The Fire Danger Rating is your trigger to act. The higher the rating, the more dangerous the situation if a fire starts,” CFA advised on its website.
“On a Catastrophic day, leaving high risk bushfire areas the night before or early in the morning is the safest option. Don’t rely on an official warning to leave. Bushfires can start quickly and threaten lives and homes within minutes,” it added.
For Victorian residents living in bushfire prone areas, the CFA recommended staying with friends or family in a low fire risk area as a temporary solution.
In more severe cases, the fire authority said locals should consider travelling to relatively safe places such as shopping complexes, urban/regional town centres or libraries before finding a safe place to stay and wait out the fire.
Meanwhile, Morris from NSW RFS said packing an emergency service kit while keeping tabs on fire information from trusted authorities was important during bushfire season.
“People who are driving through bush fire affected areas, it's important – particularly if you're a tourist travelling through an unfamiliar area – to download the Hazards Near me NSW [phone] app and have a look at the areas you're travelling through for any road closures ahead of time,” Morris told Drive.
“Often, a number of road closures can be placed [around bushfire sites] and if you drive in that area you're not going to be allowed through because the road is closed and it may be a significant detour,” he said.
The NSW RFS Inspector said drivers should consider prepping an emergency kit which includes important identification documents, first aid kits, battery operated radios, food, water, phone chargers and woollen blankets.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
