1. Bushfires are, unfortunately, most commonly caused by man's activities, whether arson or accidentally lighting the fires such as by tossing cigarettes out of car windows, or not extinguishing campfires properly. Bushfires are, unfortunately, most commonly caused by man's activities, whether arson or accidentally lighting the fires such as by tossing cigarettes out of car windows, or not extinguishing campfires properly. Many bushfires are also caused by lightning strikes.

2. The first decision that needs to be made in case of a bushfire is whether you will stay and defend your property, or evacuate. The advantage of staying is that you are present at your property to put out small spot fires after the main fire has passed. The disadvantages, of course, involve the risks to personal safety. It is unlikely that you will be able to outrun a bushfire, so if you stay, you must have a plan to escape being burnt.

3. If you choose to evacuate, pack the minimal essentials, including very important papers, ensure your pets are catered for, and carefully plan your route to avoid fire areas. If a bushfire is approaching you should make sure gutters and the attic are clear of leaves and debris, and that vegetation is not growing close to your house. Remove these possible fuel sources, and try to create a firebreak around your house. Many people choose to soak their gutters and walls with water, which can help, depending on the severity of the bushfire. Prepare an emergency kit, which includes such things as non- perishable food, medical supplies, drink bottles, buckets, water containers, portable radio with spare batteries, torch and first aid kit. It's also a good idea to have a fire fighting kit containing items such as long sleeved shirt and trousers, leather gloves, large brimmed hat, goggles/safety glasses and strong footwear such as boots.

4. If you are in a position where you are not near any shelter, you have few choices. People have been known to survive bushfires by remaining deep in a creek or river until the fire passes, but the surface temperature of the water becomes terribly hot. If you cannot out run it or you are surrounded by the fire, you can set a fire where you are and try to direct this small fire away from you. By the time the larger inferno reaches you, there will be no fuel left to burn around you and you might survive. Bushfires in Australia will still have the strength and force to sweep over large tracts of fuel-less ground, still destroying anything in their path.

5. Bushfires can occur all over Australia. If you think you are in danger from a bushfire check out this website for a bushfire watch map. http://www.aus-eemaps.com/bushfires.html Resources http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_causes_bushfires http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_you_do_in_case_of_a_bushfir e&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=What_to_do_in_case_of_a_bushfire http://goanimate.com/movie/02CW4ZKtd5ZA/0/email http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.schools.ash.org.au/ paa2/cwabook/images/bushfire.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gamearena.co m.au/news/read.php/4738618&usg=__PlxYoUCt24IaHNTI1Zdo0xoFOh k=&h=324&w=499&sz=16&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=GTKhRTPS ncsXbM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbushfire%2Ba nimations%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1