Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines - Guide to Rural ...

Section 2 Background3. Fire managementconceptsThe following concepts are important to consider whenplanning fi re management. The detail to support theseconcepts is contained in Section 3 of the document.Stay and defend or leave earlyMost houses can survive a fi re front if the building andsurrounding area are well prepared and actively defendedby suitably equipped people.The decision to stay and defend a property or leave early isa decision that shapes fi re management planning on mostrural properties.CFA recommends that where people decide to leave theirhomes they should do so before a fi re threatens and roadtravel becomes hazardous.Under Victorian law, residents have the right to decide forthemselves if they will stay with their property in a wildfi re ifthey have a pecuniary (fi nancial) interest in the property.However, once people have left their property, or if theyare away from home at the time of the fi re, they may beprevented from returning by the police. Living in the Bush (CFA 2004) Advice to the Community Before and During a Wildfi re (CFA 2006)Defendable spaceGiven the importance of key assets, such as homes andsheds, it is important to plan fi re management to helpminimise the risk that they will be affected by fi re. Animportant part of this is maintaining a defendable spacearound these important features.Figure 9: Cleaning up to create a defendable space12 On the Land: Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines