Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 24
CONVERGE
how to physically & mentally prepare for
BUSHFIRE
SEASON
Each year, Australia is blessed with
glorious and copious sunshine. Many of us
flock to beaches and relish in the weather
as we enjoy the summer months. It’s a
time many of us look forward to. However,
the hot weather also increases the risk of
natural disasters, so being prepared for
these events is an important part of our
seasonal planning, particularly as
bushfires during the summer season
become more likely. So, to get started,
let’s explore how to be fire-ready this
bushfire season.
Why are bushfires becoming
more frequent?
In recent years, bushfires have become
more regular during the summer months.
They’re catastrophic and decimate land
and property. Lives are also put at risk,
and tragically, people have died during
bushfire events. [CP1.1]In 2019/20, during
the bushfires known as Black Summer, 35
people lost their lives when the country
was encapsulated in smoke and flames.
Nearly 19 million hectares was burnt, and
almost 3 billion animals were affected –
according to WWF Australia.
As the climate crisis worsens, the Climate
Council say scientists predict bushfires
will become a year-on-year staple of
Australia’s summer. They are projected to
worsen before they get better unless
radical action is taken to curb climate
change. In fact, a 2019 research paper by
the Climate Council found that:
There’s an increased risk to people
and property due to bushfire
conditions.
Bushfire seasons are now longer.
•he cost associated with fighting a fire
is increasing.
Climate change has been proven to
exacerbate bushfire conditions.
How you can prepare for the
bushfire season
When we need to ready ourselves for the
bushfire season, think PAR: Plan, Act, and
Recover. That means preparing yourself
for a bushfire, knowing what you should
do when a bushfire hits, and knowing how
to recover after the bushfire is tamed and
extinguished.
