Plan before you leave

By Alice Dell (3rd Yr LaTrobe Uni)

If you and your family wish to leave your property during a bushfire this season, there are now a few places of interest where you can go safely.

During a fire, it is hard to think clearly. Even if you have a fire plan, it may be difficult to follow when under severe amounts of pressure.

The Victorian Government strongly recommends people leave their property the night before, or morning of an Extreme or Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating day.

But when you leave, where do you go?

The CFA website says that any open-air spaces such as sport ovals or recreational reserves are available to anyone that wishes to leave early.
Such places within Moorabool include:

● Ballan Swimming Pool (Mill Park)
● Ballan Racecourse Reserve
● Ballan Recreation Reserve
● Caledonian Park, Ballan
● Bacchus Marsh Racecourse
● Mason’s Lane Reserve, Bacchus Marsh
● Maddingley Park

Keep in mind, these are just a few examples.

The lack of public information on specific locations may cause people to hesitate in their decision to leave early, which is clearly not ideal.

Familiarising yourself with the Fire Danger Rating scale will be extremely beneficial in preparation for fire season.

Although a fire can start on any day, no matter the rating, higher-risk days will often lead to more unpredictable fires that are difficult to control.

Ratings can be found daily on the VicEmergency App.

According to the Victorian Government Website, days are rated high risk due to heat, the dryness of the area, amount of dry vegetation and wind.

“If the fire is unpredictable and uncontrollable, you do not want to be anywhere near it. Leave early.” the site recommends.