I'v seen around 150 odd homes lost in bushfires around Sydney and wider in the past 20 years, 20odd homes during Oct 2014 Blue Mountains Bushfires the most recent.
There is a lot of depate about staying or going, and from my point of view as a Full Time Firefighter, if you and your Property is not BushFire Ready, do yourself and others like me a favor and leave early with your pets, I hate seeing pets locked in house's left to burn alive.
Majority of the 150 odd houses I'v seen lost have been on the Urban/Bush Interface, where many people think it can't happen to me, and it appeared very little to No Bushfire Safe Preparation around house and yards had been undertaken, and this is where the planning starts, reducing the vegetation fire loading around your house goes a very very long way.
Forget about garden houses, with their plastic tap fittings and light rubber hoses, they just melt when you need them the most, and when you need the water the most, usually the fire service does too and has sucked the street mains dry, leaving your street with no water supply.
And if you are thinking about staying and fighting, think about being self efficient, as firefighters if you are prepared equipment wise, you make our job so much easier.
So for a little outlay, a cost of around $2000 -> $5000, simply purchase youself a 1000-> 5,000Lt bushfire safe water tank, bushfire firefighting pump (Diesel Preferd) and 2x 25m lengths of 25mm bush firefighting hose, and then sit and wait for the fire front to come to you, you will be a long way a head of majority of house owners when it comes to protecting your house "after the fire front has pass".
