Don't overlook pets and stock in fire plan

LAST month's bushfires in Southern Tasmania demonstrated, once again, the immense value in rural residents having a good bushfire plan.

That bushfire plan should include pets and, for farmers and hobby farmers, livestock.

This planning needs to be done well before any fire risk so that everyone in your family knows what to do in an emergency.

If you have livestock, identify a low-risk area they can be quickly moved to.

That could be an eaten-out paddock, irrigated pasture or bare yards.

As a general rule, cattle are good at avoiding fire if they have room to move, so a low- risk paddock might suit them best.

Sheep have a strong flocking instinct so having yards surrounded by bare ground is best but, failing that, a low-risk paddock is a good second option for sheep.

For horses, the best options are a yard area that is surrounded by bare ground or a bare paddock.

Under no circumstances should you shut the horse in a stable when there is an immediate bushfire threat.

Your bushfire plan should include the option to evacuate livestock - and that means ensuring your stockyards are in good order well before the bushfire season.

If your plan is to use your own stock crate, make sure it is easily accessible and ready to go well before the bushfire season.

If you have horses, always ensure the horse float is ready to go. It's no good in a bushfire if the float has a flat tyre or is parked behind other machinery so it can't be hitched in a hurry.

With pets, whether you decide to stay or evacuate, one of your first actions when threatened by bushfire should be to restrain and confine them as they may be difficult to find or catch if the situation deteriorates

If you decide to stay, put your pets in a room inside the house so they don't get in the way of your efforts to protect your property or livestock.

Don't shut them in a barn, kennel, hutch etc outside as that will leave them with no chance of saving themselves in the fire.

With pet birds, put a towel or cloth over the cage to minimise stress.

If you decide to evacuate, put your cat in its carry cage and ensure your name, address and contact number is on that cage - and the same with other pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Don't forget to take any medications with you. With pet birds, the cage should be covered to minimise the stress on the bird during transit.

You should never leave any animal tethered if a fire is approaching, because that would leave it with no chance of surviving.

Finally, make sure your animals have identification on them - ear tags for livestock, a collar tag or microchip ID for dogs and cats.

A big bushfire will destroy fences so livestock may wander off the property. And even a small bushfire can cause dogs and other animals to panic and become lost.

Every rural and semi-rural property should have a current bushfire plan that includes pets and livestock.

And you need to ensure that any equipment or yards you would be relying on in a bushfire emergency are actually in working condition at all times.

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