Climate Talk

bushfire season prep starts now. my checklist from 30 years in the hills

Spring's coming here and with it the start of fire season, so this is my yearly reminder to myself and anyone else in a fire-prone area.

Clear gutters of leaves. Cut back anything touching the house. Check hoses actually reach every corner. Write a plan with the family: when you leave, where you go, who grabs the pets. Put important documents in one bag. And download your state's fire app and turn the alerts on.

The biggest lesson I've learned is to decide early. The worst decisions get made in the smoke.