The 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission Interim Report has just been released, following the disastrous Bushfires in Victoria in January 2009 where 73 people died.
Some of the recommendations do not seem to have been though out. For example, Recommendation 7.1 includes “the safest option is always to leave early rather than stay and defend“.
Bushfires travel fast and the affected area is huge – involving hundreds of thousands of people. If this entire population is evacuated early, where do they go? Also, this huge out flux is likely to block roads, hindering the movements of emergency services. People will just get barbecued in their cars rather than their homes.
Since the effects of bushfires are patchy – almost capricious, it would seem that the real answer to to do the opposite – to get people to stay put, but ensure each house and building has an underground fire shelter or bunker easily accessible from inside the building.
Another disaster is waiting to happen if the advice is for hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate.
Bunkers, which may give that vital protection for the relatively few houses that are affected do not figure in the recommendations, but are mentioned throughout the report:
2.73 Questions about the merits of bunkers were repeatedly raised. In many instances people expressed an
openness to installing bunkers, not just on their own properties but at community centres such as schools.
People suggested that an expert engineering investigation was needed so that an Australian standard could
be developed.
Mr Gobbett later said of bunkers:
It [the bunker] saved our life in this fire. If we didn’t have it, I don’t doubt that we would be dead.41
3.19 Some issues appeared frequently in the submissions. These included the ‘stay or go’ policy; weather and
climate change as a cause of the fires; fuel reduction; roadblocks; bunkers; refuges; the coordination of the
response to the fires; and the provision of relief to people affected by the fires.
3.66 Many submissions reflected dissatisfaction with a perceived lack of information regarding materials, designs
and recommendations for building fireproof or fire-resistant housing and bunkers. Submissions on this
topic emphasised the need for easy-to-access government recommendations about materials and designs
for building fireproof or fire-resistant housing and bunkers (including easy access for people without the
internet). BlueScope Steel in its submission noted that:
… not only is the prevention of ember ingress and the use of non-combustible building materials
important in the dwelling design, but also other aspects such as ensuring radiation barriers and
separation from other ignition sources within the dwelling landscape.39
3.68 In light of the rebuilding process and the forthcoming fire season, various submissions raised the need for
regulations regarding refuges and bunkers so that people could modify their fire plans and any rebuilding
on their properties could include these. The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors submitted that:
… building standards must facilitate and maximise the ability to evacuate safely and offer every
opportunity to save lives.41
8.57 The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre’s Victorian 2009 Bushfire Research Response Interim Report
2009 contained preliminary research results on refuges.73 The report noted that refuges and shelters
‘emerged as an important issue’.74 It revealed that some in the community were unclear about the
location of refuges. Residents of Kinglake and Kinglake West were recorded as believing that evacuation
to firestations was advisable as these would be well defended. The report stated:
In summary there appears to be evidence that many community members regard public buildings, ovals
and emergency services facilities as safe places of refuge during a bushfire. There is some evidence
of support for purpose-built community shelters in which residents can take shelter during a bushfire.
Several of those interviewed reported that they were considering building personal shelters or ‘bunkers’
to protect them from bushfire.75
13.4 When the Commission resumes hearings on 24 August [2009], its initial focus will be an examination of building
standards in bushfire prone areas. This will include matters such as materials used in construction, fireresistant
house features, and designs for building bushfire bunkers.
Some companies already build bunkers:
- Bunkers Down Under builds concrete bunmkers based on water tank technology
- Bush Fire Bunker
“Bunkers were recommended and used around the time of the 1939 Black Friday bushfires to provide some shelter to mill workers who had no other protection from bushfires when working in the forests.” – CSIRO
The bunker could be excavated cheaply and quickly outside the building, perhaps under the existing driveway, with an entry to stairs in the ground floor of the building. A layer, perhaps 50 – 100 cm of soil should be enough to protect from radiant heat and falling trees, if the roof f the bunker was re-enforced concrete. A labyrinth door (to prorect it from radiant heat) which sealed well should be enough to give a high level of protection against a firestorm. The size should be enough to provide air to perhaps ten people for two hours. It would also be a great place to store wine.
