Recovery After the Bush Fire
If you, your family or your property is affected by a bush fire, getting your life back to normal is the priority.
Property Damage
If your home is unsafe to occupy after a fire, notify your local police and check with your insurance company whether you can claim temporary housing expenses or obtain an advance on your eventual settlement.
It is the owner's responsibility to secure a site following a fire. Make sure outside doors can be locked and that openings are covered against weather and entry. If you are the occupier, contact your landlord or real estate agent and inform them of the fire.
If you need professional assistance in boarding up the premises, contact a general contractor in your area to assist you.
The Rural Fire Brigade will help secure the premises until responsibility can be handed over to the owner/occupier or insurance company where possible.
Have your important personal items ready to take with you, including: Identification, vital medicines, eyeglasses, hearing aids, prosthetic devices, or personal aids, valuables such as credit cards, cheque books, insurance policies, savings accounts books, money, jewellery and other valuable assets.
Food, beverages and medicines exposed to heat and smoke should be discarded.
Remember to let friends, family and neighbours in your community know your new or temporary address and contact details.
Insurance
After a fire, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to inform them of any loss or damages. If you are not insured, your recovery will depend upon your own resources and assistance that may be available from government or non-government agencies.
Utilities
Services such as telephones and supply of water, electricity and gas may be affected by the bush fire.
After a fire, if your house is damaged, the RFS Fire Control Centre will contact local council, gas and fuel, and the electricity authority to disconnect services as required.
If any services have been disconnected, it is the owner's responsibility to have the service checked and re-connected by the utility service provider. Do not attempt to reconnect services yourself.
Support in Recovery
The NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS) is responsible for the delivery of welfare and disaster recovery services. The 24-hour State Disaster Recovery Centre can be contacted on 1800 018 444.
Under the NSW Disaster Recovery (Human Services) Plan, DoCS coordinates a number of non-government Partners in Disaster Relief who assist in the delivery of some of recovery and welfare services.
NSW Agriculture coordinates the provision of animal relief services and rehabilitation assistance to primary producers, including coordinating emergency fodder supplies, managing the care of companion pets, providing care services for wild life, domestic animals and for companion pets.
Environmental Regeneration
Although a part of nature, fires can cause extensive damage to the natural environment and to trees in particular, defoliating tree crowns, breaking limbs and trunks, and even uprooting trees.
The extent to which fire-damaged trees will recover depends on the severity of damage, the seasonal growing conditions in the months after the fire the age, vigour and regenerative capacity of the tree.
There are different ways in which a tree may recover from fire, it may send out new shoots, there can be regrowth from seed, or both can occur. After a fire, a tree should be retained for 9-12 months unless it is unsafe or incapable of recovery or regeneration. If recovery is likely, it will happen during this time.
Dead trees and shrubs may still store viable seed and should not be removed until the autumn following the fire, by which time the seed will have been shed. Trees showing signs of recovery can be nurtured by mulching and deep, periodic watering. Seedlings and root shoots need protection from stock and vermin and also from competing weed and grass growth.
Seed may be collected from either damaged or undamaged trees and broadcast onto bare areas or propagated for planting later in the season or in the following year. Branches bearing unopened seed capsules may be scattered on bare areas in anticipation of seed being shed.
Where fire damaged vegetation is to be replaced, you should consider the future likelihood of fire when choosing replacement trees.
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