Fire fighting strategies at McCarthy Park

Bushfires are always a possible threat here with so many trees around, so it pays to be prepared. We have always had sprinklers on the roof of the house, which wet the entire roof and surrounding area. Of course we rely on the electricity still working though! This year, we have had a couple of close calls again so have redone the roof sprinklers with a larger diameter pipe to enable a higher water flow. We also added roof sprinklers to the Flopsies House (rabbit house) and the adjoining workshop which houses the tractor.

In addition, we bought a second hand, unlicensed trailer from the local rubbish dump shop and fitted it out with a water tank, pump, and hose. Now, with the tractor, we can tow it anywhere on the property where spot fires may come in as a result of fires and strong winds in the area, rather than just relying on the electricity to power the sprinkler systems.

Mobile firefighting unit

Mobile firefighting unit

Filling the tank from one of the sprinklers

Filling the tank from one of the sprinklers