The Victorian government has finally introduced an interim order for fire bunker standards in Victoria. These interim regulations are incorporated after amending the Building Regulations 2006.These regulations came into effect from 11^th November2009 (except regulation 9 and 10 which shall come into effect from 9^th November-2010).These regulations shall expire on 10^th November 2010 when a new national standard by Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is expected. The main provisions of the interim regulations in respect of the fire bunker standards are,

A building surveyor shall not give approval for constructing a fire bunker unless,

• He or she is satisfied with a certificate under sec-238 of the Building Act-1993 by a fire safety engineer, who did not design the building work, to the effect that structure complies with the performance requirements. or
• Satisfied with a determination of the Building Appeals Board under section 160A of the Act that the alternative solution complies with the performance requirements, or
• Received an accreditation from Building Regulations Advisory Committee in respect of the fire bunker, or
• Received a Certificate of Conformity issued by the Australian Building Codes Board which states that the alternative solution complies with that performance requirement.

If you are caught in a bushfire, and you decide to take shelter in a fire bunker, how long you could stay inside a bunker? Usually during a bushfire, the main fire front passes within 10 to 15 minutes. According to some survivors the time they spent in a bunker ranged from 40 minutes to two hours or more. The intensity of the heat varies with the nature of bushfire, cumbustiable materials around and the local geography. Usually most of the reputed the fire bunker manufactures claim that their bunkers are safe for a minimum four hour stay. Still the best is to stay up to the maximum possible time inside a bunker and leave it when it is confirmed that it is safe to enter out of it. This is important for children and pets. Early release of pets may cause burns from hot surface or other burning materials. There may be half burnt falling tree branches while you are escaping out.

The bushfire season has begun in Victoria. Many people are thinking about fire bunkers as a last resort to take shelter in case of a sudden bushfire. Now before you consider installing a fire bunker, you need to verify some points in relations to its safety and design. At present there are no specific standards set to measure the performance and capability of fire bunkers. Therefore the following points need to be ensured when installing a fire bunker in your house.

• The bunker should protect the people inside from fire and radiant heat for a reasonable time.
• It should be supplied with fire protection equipments with first aid kit, water, blankets, torch lights, radio and other items needed during a fire emergency.
• The material used for construction of fire bunker should be a safe one.
• The fire bunker can be best installed just away from house but easily accessible.
• An air tight fire door should be there for entry and exit.
• It is better to install the fire bunker partly covering the earth for insulation.
• The size of the bunker may depend on the number of people entering inside. Therefore a large bunker is needed if there are more number of people in the family.