Did you protect your home in the case of bush fire ?
How?
I am thinking about getting one or two 5.5 -6.5 hp four stroke pumps , getting ready water suction from my pond/ dam.
Should I look at any specific pumps or all almost the same? Single or two propellers ?
Any ideas about sprinklers or long range nozzle?
I live just on the bush edge .
Pay special attention to dry fuel on the ground < 6 mm in diameter. That's the stuff that burns quickly and sets the larger stuff alight. If possible rake up all of it 20 to 40 metres from the house. Especially in the direction from which the hot dry winds come from and/or in the downhill direction. Put it in a big heap. You can put a sprinkler on top of the heap if you like, but as a heap, it'll just be a big bonfire that you can keep an eye on. Either way you'll get millions of embers. One will land in the rat's nest under the roof that your sprinkler doesn't wet in 30 knots of wind.
The fire authorities are moving away from the "stay or go" policy to one of evacuation. If you understand that it's the fine fuel that carries the most dangerous component of the fire, that the fine fuel burns out in less than a minute, that you'll get embers and smoke for quite a while longer, that houses mostly catch alight and burn over the next hour or more.... On the other hand you can also be very unlucky and a mini tornado set up by the fire can take your roof off. Do the sums make the call, check your insurance, a lot of houses have been saved by the old bloke next door, one foot in the grave, with nothing to lose and a bucket of water.
Unfortunate people have also left a safe house surrounded by green grass and car crashed in the smoke, into a ditch full of dry fine fuel. If you go, don't go at the last minute. A well-prepared house is a pretty reliable place to shelter, but get back outside into the smoke with a bucket of water as soon as the flames have passed.
^^^ +1
and Macro get a generator. In a bad fire you will probably not have power to run those pumps
Select to expand quoteMacroscien said..
Did you protect your home in the case of bush fire ?How?
I am thinking about getting one or two 5.5 -6.5 hp four stroke pumps , getting ready water suction from my pond/ dam.
Should I look at any specific pumps or all almost the same? Single or two propellers ?
Any ideas about sprinklers or long range nozzle?I live just on the bush edge .
contact your local shire, fire brigade and emergency services - they will have guidelines for preparing your property for bushfire as well as plans on what do to in case of bushfire (leave or defend).
You will need to do quite a bit of preparation to be able to defend your home and family, it may be the only choice you have and you really want to make sure you are ready.
We are in densely populated high bushfire risk area and our plan is to leave. We had a small fire nearby last year (about 300 m from our house) and even though we were not in immediate danger I would not want to be making any decisions but simply grab few essentials and go. Decide and prepare before and stick to your plan should you have to.
Once we realized we were safe we went to check out the action and snap some pics .
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
^^^ +1
and Macro get a generator. In a bad fire you will probably not have power to run those pumps
Except he did say he was looking at 5.5hp 4 stroke pumps.
But I do agree that you can have the best fire protection system in the world, but if it relies on the mains power and don't have a backup, then you might as well not bother.
The first thing to go on country fires is the power because somewhere along the line, a pole burns down and that's the end of your electrics and thus, water supply.
I keep a small 2kw 4 stroke generator on standby over the fire season, all gassed up and ready to go.
If there is a fire nearby it goes into the pumphouse, which has a suitable firebreak around it, and it can then run the existing house pump if needed.
It runs sprinklers all around the house to keep the ground wet.
Even green grass can burn on a blistering hot day so it needs to be wet down.
If you're there, then wet down the gutters and lightly spray under the ridge capping.
Most house fires are started in bushfires because of leaf litter in the gutters and under the ridge cap on the apex of the roof.
Smouldering embers blow into the gutters and ridge capping which eventually sets fire to the leaf litter.
Once started, this then works it's way into the roof space, so it's the small gutter and ridge cap fires that need putting out before they get established.
Also, if there is a fire nearby, keep a ladder ready up against the roof.
If you have to run around finding a ladder then it's probably going to be too late by the time you find it.
Once a fire is in the roof space the house is pretty much gone, so then you can run away.
leaf litter can be sucked out with one of those electric blower/sucker thingies at the start of season, and often about January as well.
They are only about $99 for a cheap one, and that's all you need.
They really suck. 
The problem with the mandatory evacuation policy, most house fires start in a very small way, like smouldering leaves in a gutter.
They can be put out very easily with just a small $50 backpack sprayer, so long as you don't get choked in smoke.
If you abandon the house as soon as a fire creeps over the horizon, the chances of you losing the house go up drastically, unless there is a ready supply of fireys on standby just for your house. Even if there are, it helps a lot if you've already done all the right stuff.
I should also add, that if there is no safe place to run to in the event that you can't save your house then keep that in mind when making your decision as to how long you stay.
Have a plan ready.
Don't try to come up with one in a hurry at the time.
Mine is to take my chances and jump in the dam with all the tiger snakes. 
All good except green grass will not burn. Fuel with a moisture content above 25% will not burn.
Here is a reference to assess the curing of your grass and infer its moisture content.http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/fm_files/attachments/Publications/curingguide.pdf
Trees in a green lawn, even big old eucalypts are not a problem. It's annoying when people chop down trees believing it will reduce fire hazard.
It's the dead stuff on the ground dropped by the eucs that is the danger. Just rake it up or grow a green lawn under them rather than chop them down.
^^^ Ian's correct. Over the last few years of preparing planning documentation for homes in bushfire overlays I've learned quite a lot about inner and outer zones, bushfire management requirements / principles and also the importance of setting up a fire protection system.
From what I've learned - you need very good practical trade skills and knowledge in order to maintain a system that will protect your home during a bushfire, but at the end of the day you need to get out of there.
Best wishes for those in NSW that are dealing with the current situation.
Councils wont allow home owners to clear fire exclusion zones The home owner faces fines if he wants to clear a tree. Theres to many ****stick green suburban uni wankers red taping the saftey
Dont get me started of this ****.
I wish i could clear a recommended fire exclusion zone according FESA but cant cause council ****whit greenies wont let me.
Cant knock down a tree without being fined by some **** whit
They key is councils implementing FESA`s Fire exclusion zone recommendations for dwelling.
Fine if you want to live under a 50 foot gum tree expect your house to burn. Apply to the council to implement a fire exclusion zone recomended by the firebrigade and get a letter to state that you will be finnes if you clear is a ****en joke.
The laws on dwellings have to change.Fire exclusions zones and clearing of native bush around dwelling must be implimented
BTW you wont put out a fire with a big white wankstick pump dude. Fire prevention is all about removing combustables and feul around the dwelling.
You can blame ****whit councils and the even more ****whit greenies for there inability to enforce recomended fire exculaion zones.around dwellings.
I live in the bush have a ****en fire management from the fire brigade. 20+metre cleared 20-40 metres thinned out but not allowed to clear a ****en tree cause some dumb **** uni **** save the ****en trees wants a job
These dumb ****s greenies need a wake up call.
If you want to protect your house from fire contact FESA and get the to evaluate your dwelling . Send the FESA recommendation to your council.
Buster, not sure what the go is over there, but over here we have the 10/30 & 10/50 rule - maybe look into your local regs?
www2.delwp.vic.gov.au
Regardless, find someone who knows planning and get them to assist. The planning schemes are fairly straight forward once you know your way around them. They just want to see the guidelines addressed.
I have planning The fire-brigade? They put a fire a recommendation for a fire exculzion zone of all combustible materials withing 20 meter of my main dwelling. So i applied to clear 6 metres of native vegetation to be cleared implement this and the greenies at the council knocked it back.
Any ways not getting fired up but everything has been documents and applied for to protect my house from fire yet the conatant council rejections of clearing native bushland stay in my way.
If insurance dosent pay for it i have a very good case against the council.
The best policy is prevention This includes councils honouring fire exclusion zones and the removal of combustible material not only on building envelopes but heavy combustible bushland adjacent.
If i dwelling cant be built and the fire exclusion zones cant be honored.The council should purchase back the land of the land owner at a retail price. Insted of letting people build on it.
Select to expand quotepweedas said..Mark _australia said..
^^^ +1
and Macro get a generator. In a bad fire you will probably not have power to run those pumps
Except he did say he was looking at 5.5hp 4 stroke pumps.
ahem - ummm - 
5.5 4 stroke would be good if it was attached to positive draw from a water supply like a dam !I would recommended that for your situation but highlight that in the event of extreme fire the best policy is to evacuate , Make sure you have safely removed your kids and loved ones before you decide to stay and fight. .
Mains power is the first thing you will notice missing in a bushfire This will shutdown everything including thr ability to communicate . place your loved ones in the car and leave before its to late ! http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/safetyinformation/fire/bushfire/BushfireManualsandGuides/FESA_Bushfire-Homeowners_Survival_Manual.pdf
