This paddock will be our refuge
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340019)
Rockingham, Australia
February 7, 2021 12:43am CST
The photo shows part of our property. You can see there isn’t much grass on it at the moment. There is a fence in the middle distance and beyond that another fence which is our boundary.
The dark area between the two fences is about where we plan to shelter if we ever need to evacuate the house due to a bushfire. We plan to run the grader blade over the area to take off any excess vegetation. There are no trees anywhere close by and now we have the fire-fighting unit, we’d be able to put out any spot fires on our ‘patch’. That’s the theory anyway.
We’d park the car and the unit in the middle then sit it out. It will probably never happen but it’s more likely not to if we are totally prepared.
But we’re creating more and more jobs for ourselves. Next project is installing whatever it takes so that we can refill the water tanks as quickly as possible if need be. More on that next time.
17 people like this
17 responses
@LindaOHio (178701)
• United States
7 Feb 21
Great plans. You will be so ready. I hope you never have to use your shelter area or your fire-fighting unit.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 21
I hope we never know whether this would work or not but the unit will be handy in other ways. At the moment, if we burn a heap of branches and other vegetation, we have to be careful to keep the heap small because we have no water nearby but with this unit we'll be able to make the whole property safer by keeping it more free of rubbish.
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (10095)
• United States
7 Feb 21
This is a very good plan. We are doing what we can but we are surrounded by pines. I drove up the canyon today and the devastation from the fire we were evacuated from was so heart breaking. I saw some up against our mountain but it was today I finally drove up to Detroit Lake, not far from us. We need to figure out what else to plan ourselves. Love your land.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 21
Thanks. Being surrounded by pines wouldn't be good. Some things you can't plan for but we are lucky here really as we think this is a reasonable option. We would have to leave the house area as it is surrounded by bush but there is a cleared space around it which we try to keep litter-free. This aerial photo will give you some idea. The area in the middle a bit up from the bottom is when we'd plan to go.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
8 Feb 21
I think the wide open space is good enough though you may still feel the extreme heat from a bushfire (which I hope would never happen in you area).
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
8 Feb 21
@JudyEv You are really, really prepared for any eventuality. I admire you and Vince.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 21
@sunrisefan Thanks but we need to cover every eventuality if we intend to stay when there is a big fire.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
7 Feb 21
As you say, if you are ready it will not happen. Good planning.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 21
It's good to have decided what we'll do if the worst should happen.
@allknowing (136445)
• India
8 Feb 21
Better safe than sorry is all what I can say and yes my wish is that you never get to use the paddock
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89882)
• Arvada, Colorado
7 Feb 21
You are so busy Judy. Hopefully you wont have a need to go there.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89882)
• Arvada, Colorado
8 Feb 21
@JudyEv always prepared my motto too
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106271)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Feb 21
@JudyEv That would be the biggest problem and smoke.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 21
@wolfgirl569 Yes, smoke is a concern but we'd soak woollen blankets and stay in the car till the fire passed around us.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 21
We are all supposed to have 'plans' but many don't have any equipment. We'd never be able to save the house but we could put out embers and spot fires that arrive ahead of the main fire. We could shelter down the paddock then come back to the house to hopefully put out any more small fires or whatever.
If you evacuate, the authorities won't let you back home until it's safe which means until electricity poles are back up, etc, etc. If you're on the spot there is more chance of you saving your home. I suppose the threat is 'real' but it hasn't happened in all the years we've been here. And you lived through all the uprisings so the threats are just different.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
7 Feb 21
Most of your recent posts are about bushfire and the preparation that you and Vince are doing to stay safe. Your concern is valid and it is always wise to stay safe. I hope you don't need to use any of them.
You have a huge and beautiful property.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
7 Feb 21
@JudyEv It's understandable. We can't overlook the real issues especially when it is so common there.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)
• China
7 Feb 21
That is a great place to pitch your tent.You are right,better to be safe than sorry.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340019)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 21
We have serious bushfires every summer and, with global warning, they are becoming more severe each year.
