Storm & Bushfire Preparation

Preparation checklist

• — Remove deadwood and unstable limbs before the season starts
• — Check trees overhanging roofs, sheds, driveways and boundaries
• — Consider crown thinning on exposed sites to reduce wind loading
• — Clear vegetation growing toward powerlines and service lines
• — Clean gutters and clear ground litter that can block drainage
• — Note which trees you would want checked if a storm goes through

Signs that warrant an inspection

• — A limb caught in the canopy that has not yet come down
• — Fresh cracks or tears where a branch meets the trunk
• — A new lean, or a lean that appears to have increased
• — Soil cracking or lifting turf around the base of a tree
• — Bark split or torn along the trunk after high wind
• — Any of the above on a tree near a building or driveway

What to do after a storm

• — Keep clear until you are confident the area is safe
• — Stay well away from anything touching powerlines
• — Photograph damage before anything is moved
• — Walk the property and look for changes, not just obvious damage
• — Note anything hanging or unstable and keep people away from it
• — Call us with photos — we can often advise over the phone

Taking photos safely

Photos are genuinely useful — for us and for any insurance claim. But no photo is worth putting yourself at risk.

• — Stay on the ground and keep well back from damaged trees
• — Never stand under a hanging or partly detached limb
• — Take one wide shot showing the whole tree and its surroundings
• — Take one closer shot of the specific damage, if safe to do so
• — Include something for scale — a car, a fence, a doorway

Insurance documentation

Good documentation makes a claim far simpler. General guidance only — check your policy and speak to your insurer.

• — Photograph the damage before any clean-up begins
• — Take dated photos from several angles
• — Record the date and approximate time of the weather event
• — Keep written quotes and invoices for any work carried out
• — Contact your insurer early — many have specific process requirements

Vegetation management overview

The aim is to reduce the amount of fuel available close to buildings and to break up continuous vegetation that could carry fire toward a structure. On most properties that means addressing ground litter, understorey density, deadwood in the canopy, and branches overhanging roofs. It rarely means clearing everything — well-managed trees can provide useful shelter from radiant heat and ember attack.

Deadwood & fuel considerations

• — Deadwood in the canopy is a significant ember and fuel source
• — Accumulated bark and ground litter close to the house carries fire
• — Continuous understorey can carry fire from ground level into canopy
• — Branches overhanging roofs and gutters increase ember risk
• — Green waste piles left on site are themselves a fuel load

Access & clearance

• — Emergency vehicles need clear width and height on access tracks
• — Overhanging branches along driveways narrow effective clearance
• — Turning space matters as much as track width on rural properties
• — Gates, cattle grids and bridges should be usable and clearly marked
• — Review access annually — regrowth narrows tracks faster than expected