With the latest Bushfires Royal Commission focus on Fire Bunkers, it looks like we are finally going to get the much needed standards and regulations on Fire Bunkers and Fire Shelters.

There are too many backyard amateur Fire Bunkers out there that can easily be death traps, said Craig Morrison from Fire Proof Shelters, Australia’s leading Fire Bunker Designer and manufacturer!

Here is an excerpt from the latest Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations.

Dewi Cooke
September 22, 2009 – 12:00AM

VICTORIANS could soon have access to the first regulations for fire bunkers after a decision by the Bushfires Royal Commission to release interim recommendations on their use.

Commission chairman Bernard Teague said yesterday that following three weeks of evidence investigating bunkers and home-building standards in bushfire-prone areas, it was clear that certain matters ”cannot wait” for the commission to conclude its work next July.

He said commissioners would deliver interim recommendations regarding regulations for bushfire bunkers, some aspects of the new AS3959 building standard and the need for a revision of the Standards Australia handbook for building in bushfire-prone areas.

In evidence last month, the commission was told there was no standard for in-ground bunkers but they were urgently needed amid concerns from Victorian Building Commissioner Tony Arnel that people were rushing to install them without technical knowledge.

Mr Arnel said he had directed Victoria’s Building Regulations Advisory Committee to develop an accreditation criteria for pre-fabricated bunkers and estimated that Standards Australia could develop a standard within six months.

But he said it would also be possible for the royal commission to make a finding that criteria for bunkers be rolled into existing national building regulations, as a way of fast-tracking the process.

There are many types of Bush Fire Bunkers nowadays. These Bunkers vary widely in both price and sophistication, ranging from a hole in the ground lined with timber or sandbags, converted shipping containers to purpose built Fire Bunkers constructed from reinforced concrete and fire rated materials.

In the past it was commonly held that a shelter was only required during the initial passing of the fire front, a period of about fifteen minutes during which the radiant heat reached it’s peak. Experts studying the effects of Black Saturday however estimate that in some areas this radiant heat effect would have remained fatal for up to two hours. Bearing this in mind anyone considering purchasing a shelter should be certain that their shelter can withstand prolonged exposure to intense heat and also provide an adequate supply of clean air.

Without proper Australian Standards for Bush Fire Bunkers, you owe it to yourself and family to make sure any Fire Bunker passes these requirements before purchasing one.

1. All Fully Fire Rated Materials used and have Australian Standards certificates

2. Fully Airtight and Smoke Proof Design.

3. LARGE Capacity to allow for maximum Air Volume, reduce anxiety from confined spaces, accomodate any additional people who may be present AND ensure You are further from the Radiant heat source!

4. AT LEAST 400-900mm under the ground for ALL non Fire Door structure, i.e. the concrete is not exposed to direct radiant heat.

5. Fire Proof Viewing Panel that has Thermal rating of 3 or more hours!

6. Choice of TOP or SIDE Entry Bush Fire Bunkers for maximum safety and suitability.

7. MINIMUM Exposure points, i.e. NO Vents, NO Potential FAILURE points that can let heat or smoke in and Air OUT!

These are just some of the CRITCAL features you need to be aware of and make sure you double check before purchasing any Bush Fire Bunker!

To Find out the latest in Bush Fire Bunker designs and answers to your Questions…

Talk to Andrew on (03) 9444 1555 for more inforamtion

Finally there is talk about introducing standards for Fire Bunkers and Fire Shelters.

All of us at Fire Proof Shelters have seen a number of examples where Sub-Standard and downright dangerous Fire Bunkers are being sold and people need to be aware of the potential hazards these poorly designed Fire Bunkers introduce!

Some of the backyard Fire Bunker problems to look out for are:

Not using a professionally made fully rated Fire Door
No option for Fire proof viewing panel
Small capacity or Air Volume inside i.e. 6 Cubic metres and below!
NO protection of entry and exit against falling objects.
NOT using fully fire rated door hinges and handles.
NOT offering Top or Side entry Fire Bunker models.

These are just a few of the critical Fire Bunker design flaws we have seen in some of the available fire shelters for sale in Australia.

Read the story here……

Greg Roberts
September 21, 2009 – 6:24PM

Standards for backyard bushfire bunkers will be fast-tracked for this year’s Victorian fire season.

The plans were announced on Monday at the Bushfires Royal Commission after the building commissioner warned unsafe bunkers were hitting the market. Commission chair Bernard Teague said on Monday some matters could not wait until its final report next July, with his comments following the first day of bushfire-related death inquiries.

“The commission has heard a substantial amount of evidence on the topic of building in bushfire prone areas,” he told the commission.

“Having considered that it appears to us that there are some matters that cannot wait.

“They should be the subject of interim recommendations.”

Those matters include the regulation of bushfire bunkers and other aspects of building in bushfire prone areas.

Written and oral submissions on the bunkers will take place within weeks with the recommendations coming after that, although no set date has been fixed.

Victoria’s building commissioner Tony Arnel told the royal commission recently that minimum standards were urgently needed because there were some potentially “risky” bunkers for sale.

He said there had been large community demand for the private refuges after Black Saturday.

The building commission released an information paper regarding personal bunkers at the time, warning people they were not fail-safe and urging them to seek professional advice from a qualified builder before investing in a shelter.

Mr Arnel and Standards Australia chief executive John Tucker want the standards finalised within six months.

It has also been suggested the bunkers be made mandatory in some areas along with standards for all buildings in bushfire areas.

A Standards Australia spokeswoman told AAP the organisation was still waiting for a project proposal to develop standards for bunkers to be submitted and would welcome one from relevant stakeholders.

This story was found at: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/fire-bunker-standards-to-be-fasttracked-20090921-fyex.html