Preparing for the bushfire season is the responsibility of everyone who lives in a bushfire prone area.

Fire presents unique challenges and requires a preprepared plan.

▪ Review the location of these items around your home, and choose storage and display locations that provide the best protection. For example, internal walls will be subjected to less heat than external walls – perhaps these are a better location for valuable art works.
▪ Identify a safe storage room inside the house, which can be used to store valuable items on extreme fire danger days. A laundry or bathroom may be ideal. 
The best protection will be given by a room with –
- a fire rated solid core door
- insulated walls
- concrete floor
- reinforced insulated ceiling
- few windows, the smaller the better.
If windows are present, make sure they have flyscreen or shutters to prevent breakage and ember entry.
▪ Some residents have saved their valuables from fire damage by burying them in the yard! An underground storage shelter, may also be suitable. Seal the entrance to prevent smoke and spark entry.
▪ Identify those that you can store off-site for the fire season.
▪ Identify those that you will take with you if you intend to leave your property.
▪ Consider investing in a fire proof safe for storing valuables. Items stored in these or other types of well sealed containers will be afforded greater protection from fire, smoke and heat damage than unprotected items.
▪ If you have decided to move valuables off-site for the fire season, for example, to the home of
 a friend, discuss and confirm the arrangements.

In summary make the most of any off-site options you may have for your files and objects ahead of extreme weather conditions.