Where to relocate to on days of severe, extreme and catastrophic fire weather

If you live, work or travel in an area where bushfires can occur, and your Bushfire Survival Plan is to leave early, on or before a bad fire day, you need to be aware of where you can relocate to.

CFS has developed a hierarchy of places that can offer relative safety from bushfire. They are broken into three categories, and are called Bushfire Safer Settlements, Bushfire Safer Precincts and Last Resort Refuges. It is important that you know what each of these are, where they are, and what risk you may be exposed to if you use one of these options during a bushfire.

Hierarchy of Bushfire Safer Places in SA

Bushfire Safer Settlement

A Bushfire Safer Settlement is a place that provides the highest level of bushfire safety of the three options because;

• It is an area of low bushfire fuel levels.
• It is sufficiently distant from continuous bushland or forest to eliminate the risk of spark and ember attack in all but the most intense bushfire activity.
• Bushfires are unlikely to travel into the area due to substantial buffers of;
  - Established gardens and lawns
  - Road networks and other zero fuel areas
• Access to emergency, health and other community services is available

A Bushfire Safer Settlement is a place of relative safety and may be used as a place for people to stay in or as a place of first resort for those people who have decided that they will leave high risk locations early on a bad fire weather day. 

If your Bushfire Survival Plan includes relocating to a Bushfire Safer Settlement you should:

• Identify where your nearest Bushfire Safer Settlement is and if there are any suitable alternatives
• Work out how you will get there and if there are any alternative routes to take
• Work out how long it will take you to get there
• Decide under what circumstances you will relocate and what your trigger points for action will be
• Plan for your relocation; when, where and what you will take etc.

The SA CFS recommends that if you intend to relocate to a Bushfire Safer Settlement you should do so early in the day. Last minute decisions to relocate in the face of fire are highly dangerous.

Bushfire Safer Settlements are located in the inner suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area.

Will you be safe in a Bushfire Safer Settlement?

There are no guarantees regarding your safety if you choose to stay in a Bushfire Safer Settlement or if you chose to relocate to one. However it is unlikely you will be exposed to direct flame, severe radiant heat or spark and ember attack if you are in these areas during bushfire.

Click here to view a list of Bushfire Safer Settlements

Bushfire Safer Precinct

A Bushfire Safer Precinct is a place of relative safety and may be used as a place for people to stay in or as a place of first resort for those people who have decided that they will leave high risk locations early on a bad fire weather day.

Larger rural townships, provided they meet established criteria, will be classified by CFS as having a Bushfire Safer Precinct. Any Bushfire Safer Precinct within those townships will be clearly defined on a map by CFS that is available from the CFS website.

Properties on the outskirts of such townships generally face a higher level of risk when compared with those nearer the centre of town. The relative safety of these properties can be improved by property owners undertaking appropriate bushfire safety works to ensure they don't place themselves or the greater community at risk.

A Bushfire Safer Precinct is relatively safe from bushfire because;

• It is located in an area of generally low levels of bushfire fuel
• It is sufficiently distant from continuous bushland or forest to reduce the risk of spark and ember attack
• Bushfire travel will be interrupted by;
  - Established gardens and lawns
  -Road networks and other zero fuel areas
• There is likely to be access to emergency, health and other community services

If your Bushfire Survival Plan includes relocating to a Bushfire Safer Precinct you should:

• Identify where your nearest Bushfire Safer Precinct is and if there are any suitable alternatives
• Work out how you will get there and if there are any alternative routes to take
• Work out how long it will take you to get there
• Decide under what circumstances you will relocate and what your trigger points for action will be
• Plan for your relocation; when, where and what you will take etc.

The SA CFS recommends that if you intend to relocate to a Bushfire Safer Precinct you should do so early in the day. Last minute decisions to relocate in the face of fire are highly dangerous.

Will you be safe in a Bushfire Safer Precinct?

There are no guarantees regarding your safety if you choose to stay in a Bushfire Safer Precinct or if you relocate to one. However it is unlikely you will be exposed to direct flame or severe radiant heat. You may be exposed to spark and ember attack and secondary fires may start in vegetation, gardens and structures from spark and ember attack. Therefore it is important to remember that even if your property is located within a Bushfire Safer Precinct you should prepare your home and undertake appropriate bushfire hazard management on your property.

Find your Council's Bushfire Safer Precincts in the panel to the right, or use the new map below to locate Bushfire Safer Precincts in South Australia.

Last Resort Refuge

It is important to know that Last Resort Refuges are not to be confused with Bushfire Safer Settlements or Bushfire Safer Precincts.

A Last Resort Refuge is a space or building which could be used as a place of last resort for individuals to go to and remain in during the passage of fire through their neighbourhood. It is an area that provides a minimum level of protection from the immediate life threatening effects of radiant heat and direct flame contact in a bushfire. A Last Resort Refuge is intended to provide a place of relative safety during a bushfire, but does not guarantee the survival of those who assemble there, and should only be used when personal Bushfire Survival Plans cannot be implemented or have failed.

Please be aware of the following risks associated with Last Resort Refuges;

• Travelling to a Last Resort Refuge may be dangerous. Traffic congestion, fire activity, heavy smoke, accidents or fallen trees may block the route
• There is no guarantee that you will be safe from fire or radiant heat when travelling to or sheltering at a Last Resort Refuge
• Do not expect emergency services to be present
• Last Resort Refuges may have limited capacity
• Last Resort Refuges do not cater for animals
• Last Resort Refuges do not provide meals, amenity or special needs (e.g. for infants, the elderly, the ill or disabled)
• Last Resort Refuges may not provide shelter from the elements, particularly flying embers

A Last Resort Refuge is not designed to replace a personal Bushfire Survival Plan. You should complete and practice your Bushfire Survival Plan to ensure that you and your family are prepared and that you know what to do in the event of a bushfire.

Will you be safe in a Last Resort Refuge?

There are no guarantees regarding your safety if you choose to relocate to a Last Resort Refuge during a bushfire. A Last Resort Refuge should not be used as a substitute for adequate preparation of your home and the undertaking of appropriate bushfire hazard management on your property.

It is important to remember that all members of the community must take responsibility for their own safety during bushfire.

Find your Council's Last Resort Refuges in the panel to the right

Identification of Bushfire Safer Places

The listing of Bushfire Safer Places in South Australia is expected to grow as more places which meet the defined criteria are identified and assessed. 

Not all townships / locations will have designated Bushfire Safer Places identified as assessment criteria may not be met. 

The current list available for the 2011-2012 fire danger season will continue to be updated as new sites are identified and assessed. 

Please visit this page regularly to ensure that you have the latest information on Bushfire Safer Places.