You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive.
The safest option is
to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.
Leaving now would be deadly.
What you should do:
You should move indoors:
- Protect yourself by
wearing long sleeves and trousers, made from pure cotton or wool. Wear
leather boots.
- Bring your pets inside.
- Close all exterior doors,
windows and vents and turn off cooling systems.
- You must take shelter
before the fire arrives. The extreme heat is likely to kill you well before
the flames reach you.
- Shelter in a room that has
two exits, such as a door or window including one directly to the outside. It
is important to be able to see outside so you know what is happening
with the fire.
If your home catches on fire:
- Move away from the rooms that are on fire, closing doors
behind you.
- As soon as the bushfire has passed the house, or conditions
inside become unbearable, you need to get out and go to an area that has
already been burnt. Staying inside a burning building will almost certainly
end in death.
- It may still be too hot to remain outside, so you will need to seek shelter in
another structure or last resort option.
If you cannot get indoors,
last resort options include:
- Shelter in the middle of a
large open area like a ploughed paddock, football oval or sporting reserve.
- Get into a large body of water like a dam, lake,
river, the ocean or inground pool.
- Try to protect yourself
from the fire's heat.
If you are travelling:
- If you are travelling, do
not enter the warning area. U-turn to safety.
- If you are currently
driving slow down and turn on your headlights. Smoke will make it difficult
to see.
If you are caught in fire
in your car:
- Park behind a solid
structure to block the fire's heat or pull over to cleared area.
- Try to position the
car towards the approaching fire.
- Turn on your hazard lights
and headlights.
Close all windows.
- Turn off the
air-conditioning and shut all the air vents.
- Turn your car engine off.
- Get down as low as
possible below window level and cover up with a pure woollen blanket.