Given the spread of rural homesteads and the amount of resources, Australian firefighters would have a tough time responding to all the wildfires during the fire season, and research showed that panicked last-minute evacuations caused the most deaths, so the new policy became ‘stay or go.’ This policy urges those that aren’t willing to battle blazes to leave their homes well before the fire threatens their property. Those that are willing to fight have been trained how to do so, and their property has a much greater chance for survival if they remain to fight.
This policy has shown great effectiveness in reducing the amount of lives lost and property damage, and it’s being discussed as a potential model for the United States. Read more about this approach to fire fighting in this story in the Los Angeles Times.
