NSW Government NSW Rural Fire Service Fire and Rescue NSW

Leave Early Actions Checklist

Ensure all members of your household, including pets, are accounted for.

Monitor the situation closely and stay up to date.

Outside

  • Turn off gas mains and/or bottle
  • Move flammable items away from the house
  • Block drainpipes with socks full of sand and fill gutters with water
    • Do not get on the roof to hose it down

Inside

  • Close doors, windows and vents
  • Fill baths, sinks, buckets and bins with water
  • Soak towels and rugs and lay them across external doorways
  • Move furniture away from windows

Before You Leave

  • Pack the items you wish to take with you, as identified in your Bush Fire Survival Plan
  • Secure your home by locking all doors and windows
    • If you live on a rural property, ensure you leave access gates unlocked to aid firefighters who may be required to access your property while you are not there
  • Confirm the location you are heading is still safe and away from the fire
  • Confirm your planned route is clear
  • Contact a relative or friend and tell them you are leaving and for where
    • Be sure to contact them again once you have arrived safely
It can be dangerous to leave at the last minute. If you cannot leave or you receive an Emergency Alert warning that it is too late to leave, it may be safer to shelter in a room on the opposite side of your house away from the approaching fire. Ensure you have clear access to an exit from this room.