Action planning needed for catastrophic fire danger days

Flinders University has conducted interviews with 61 older residents in three high-risk regions of South Australia that have revealed the need for action planning for catastrophic fire danger days; the interviews were part of a report that seeks to understand bushfire preparedness and responses to early warning messages. The research has revealed that most of the older Australians to participate would not follow the Country Fire Services’ advice regarding catastrophic fire danger days.

Further, the study found that the few participants who did express willingness to leave early were influenced by adequate insurance coverage, personal experience with bushfires, recognition of personal physical limitations, exposure to compelling survivor testimonies or access to clear and practical information. There was also a clear gender divide that emerged, with men more committed to staying and defending their property while women were more inclined to evacuate early. The high-risk regions the older people resided in were Adelaide Hills, the Coorong and the Yorke Peninsula.

The findings

“On catastrophic fire days, emergency services advise that the safest option is to leave the threatened region in advance, either the night before or early in the morning, but only 10% of those we spoke to indicated they would heed that advice,” Professor Kirstin Ross, a professor of environmental health in Flinders’ College of Science and Engineering and a report co-author, said. “Many indicated they planned to stay until the fire posed an immediate threat, citing the desire to protect their home, uncertainty about evacuation destinations and logistical difficulties such as pets and mobility issues as reasons to stay.”

Ross said that “warning fatigue” from past alerts that did not result in fires was also highlighted as a reason to delay evacuations. Also investigated were residents’ bushfire action plans, with the researchers finding that while most had some kind of plan, very few had a written plan. There were several factors that prevented the formulation of written plans. These included limited recall of where to access emergency service information and challenges accessing electronic communication — such as limited internet access or outdated devices.

The challenges

“Older Australians have unique challenges in disaster preparedness due to potential mobility or health issues and limited familiarity with digital emergency communication tools,” the report’s lead researcher Professor Beverley Clarke, a geographer in Flinders’ College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, said. “However, our study also found that many older Australians also possess strong community ties and historical knowledge of past bushfire events, which greatly impacts how they understand and respond to the advice.”

Informal networks — such as family and community members — were relied on by many residents in the study; for guidance and decision-making around when to leave ahead of a bushfire. The research also revealed clarity and resonance challenges. “Many participants found bushfire preparedness information overwhelming and confusing, or found the generalised nature of the messaging not resonating with them,” said Dr Zoei Sutton, a sociologist in Flinders’ College of Humanities and Social Sciences and another researcher involved in the report. “Yorke Peninsula participants in particular highlighted they did not have a clear, reliable safer place to evacuate to on a catastrophic fire danger day, adding to the complexity of their planning.”

The takeaway

The report — for which the Country Fire Service provided support — highlights the need for more tailored bushfire preparedness messaging that takes into account differing geographic and social factors. “With bushfires expected to become more frequent, severe and destructive in residential areas, preparation is crucial for saving lives and reducing financial losses,” Clarke said. “Older Australians have a wealth of knowledge and much experience to offer. If we involve them in production of messaging it may resonate better with them, and we may see more older residents heed warnings and leave bushfire-prone locations much earlier on catastrophic fire danger days.”

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