Suncorp alarmed by how little Qlders know about bushfire risk
Suncorp research has shown an alarming lack of knowledge of bushfires as Australia heads into an El Nino and its increased threats.
Many Australians were not aware of bush fire risks (photo: Suncorp)
The insurance and banking company said the research showed “significant gaps” in the understanding of bushfire safety.
Suncorp’s message came as fire warnings were elevated in several areas of the state. Extreme to catastrophic warnings were the Channel Country, Darling Downs and Granite Belt today.
There were high fire dangers in the gulf country, northern goldfields and upper Flinders. The Wide Bay and Burnett region also had a high fire danger.
Half the population lacked vital knowledge about the behaviour and dangers associated with bushfires and the misconceptions could put lives and property at risk.
More than half were not aware that rivers, creeks and roads could not stop an intense fire. Even in regional areas this misunderstanding was at 46 per cent of those surveyed.
About a third didn’t know lightning strikes were the most common cause of bushfires and 55 per cent were not aware that the most dangerous part of the fire was its front.
“This ignorance could lead to poor decision-making during evacuation efforts and fire containment,” Suncorp said.
About 16 per cent were not even aware that embers could cause a house to catch fire and 26 per cent were unaware that embers could travel as much as 40km.
“A concerning 42 per cent of Australians mistakenly believe it is safe to remain on their property during a bushfire event unless explicitly advised otherwise by Emergency Services,” the company said.
Suncorp Insurance climatologist Rhys Whitley said the company had developed a sophisticated view of Australian bushfire risk by using information from claims combined with climate data and the historical fire record.
“Tragically, we expect those regions that have high risk now will only become worse as the world becomes warmer,” he said.
“This trend is particularly evident for much of southern Queensland where fire-weather conditions are becoming more severe and emerging more frequently.
“As we look into the future, catastrophic bushfires will be an ever-present danger, and so monitoring of conditions (including fire weather, fuel loads) and extensive planning (i.e. property development, evacuation of communities and fire-fighting resources) is something we consider as a high priority.
“We also encourage homeowners to use the information available to them to be prepared for not only the upcoming bushfire season, but all future ones.”
