Lessons learnt: Mia Shortt lost her beloved horse Ginger and all her riding equipment when a grassfire ripped through her family’s Northwood property in February.
After experiencing two grassfires on her family’s property in only a month, it is fair to say that Mia Shortt knows more about fire safety than most 15-year-olds.
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Now she is eager to share her learnings from the fire, in the hopes that it will help other people be better prepared in the future.
“For the next Total Fire Ban day we will have a slab of water in the car, because when I was looking for Ginger (Mia’s perished horse) I had taken in so much smoke, I nearly passed out while I was running,” Mia said.
She learnt that one of the most important aspects of getting her horses to safety was having wire cutters stationed at each laneway.
“Then you can cut the fences to help horses get out,” she said.
“Have them on hand because you don’t always have time to go look for them. Always cut the corners — if you cut in the middle, the horses will miss it.”
She also recommended taking rugs off horses on days of Total Fire Ban.
“At least have scissors ready so if the rugs are tangling with the wire, you can cut it off them,” she said.
Little left: Riding through the paddocks, the smell of smoke is still present.
There are measures that can be taken, well before a fire warning is issued, to make sure assets like houses and sheds are protected.
“Have a dirt or gravel fire break around your property, because even if you slash the grass, fire just goes right through it,” Mia said.
“If you have the money, you can put sprinklers in your paddocks. Then you can turn them on if you see a fire. Not only to protect the horses if they can't get out, but it will help protect the paddocks as well.
“If you are leaving when the fire is there, turn all your water on and your power off. Having the water on saved our shed.”
Mia stressed the importance of having laneways and gateways clear.
“This way not only you can get through but fire trucks as well, and make sure your gateways are wide enough for a fire truck to get through," she said.
“You should also always have one halter and lead rope per horse on the gate to their paddock.”
“Another thing we learnt is how important it is to have multiple access points in and out of the property, to give fire trucks better access and to get yourself and animals out. I also now have spare halters and lead ropes in the float."
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