Australian bush fires and protecting your home

Home Loans

Volatile bush fires threaten Australian homes
With temperatures exceeding 40° in NSW, the hot summer weather has helped to fuel several instances of bush fires that have destroyed multiple homes north of Sydney. High winds in the southern half of Australia have aided in spreading the violent flames, putting even more homes in danger. While many of the people living in the threatened area have been evacuated, the chance of large scale property damage remains high. With meteorologists predicting the continuation of the hot and windy weather, uncontrolled bush fires are expected to flourish for some time to come this summer.

Taking steps to protect your home from bush fires
The most important step in protecting your investment is to make sure your home insurance is current and provides coverage for damage from bush fires. While comprehensive home contents and building insurance can compensate you financially for damage brought on by uncontrolled bush fires, nothing can replace the secure home you’ve created for yourself and your family. Taking precautions to prevent or reduce the damage from bush fires is the best way to protect your home. The following tips can help to reduce the opportunities for bush fires to ignite your home:

Maintain a cleared circumference at least 15 meters around your home
Keep your gutters and downpipes free of debris
Maintain your lawn, bushes and trees
Outfit your chimney with spark guards and have it cleaned annually
Keep burning debris from entering your home by installing fire resistant mesh screens around porches and other access areas
Keep firewood and other flammable materials well away from the house
When fire is in the area, fill your gutters with water to reduce the chance of wind-borne sparks igniting your home

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