Gracetown residents urged to attend October 1 bushfire-ready seminar with DFES facilitator

Residents from Gracetown and surrounds are being urged to attend a bushfire-ready meeting next weekend to prepare for the upcoming fire season.

Volunteer firefighters and the Gracetown-Cowaramup Bay Community group said they were always on the front foot to make sure residents had their homes ready for bushfire season and survival plans in place.

There is only one road in and out of the coastal settlement and past bushfires have sparked major concerns if they got out of control. The existing evacuation plan centres on residents gathering at Cowaramup Bay.

GCBC deputy president Laurie Keene said the Saturday, October 1, meeting at the Gracetown Volunteer Bushfire Brigade shed would outline the latest thinking for the coastal settlement and help residents develop their bushfire survival plans.

“We’ve been made aware that the majority of the both urban and rural local residents probably don’t have an effective plan to protect their property or know where to go should they need to evacuate their homes,” he told the Times.

“By performing a demonstration, the locals will get a better understanding of what we (volunteer firefighters) do.

“Preparing yourself, your family and your home is your responsibility.

“You need to understand the bushfire risk to your family and home so you can make decisions now on what you will do if a bushfire starts.”

The bushfire-ready response was considered key to avoiding last-minute tragedy.

“The majority of houses can survive most bushfires with planning and effort,” Mr Keene said.

“A well-prepared home will give you more protection if a fire threatens suddenly and you cannot leave.”

Residents were warned that in major emergencies fire trucks or water bombers were not guaranteed to attend specific properties.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services facilitator Gordon Temby will run the session and residents are urged to attend.

The event starts at 4pm and includes light refreshments.