Conclusions

Being overtaken by fire remains a significant cause of death for Australian bushfire fighters. Often the burnover occurs so suddenly there is little time to prepare, and it must be ridden out in whatever location and orientation the appliance is in. The protection afforded by present appliances is not optimal, and can be significantly improved by the fitting of :

• radiant heat shields to the exterior of the drivers’ cabin
• heat reflective curtains inside the cabin
• properly engineered fixed self defense sprinklers, with appropriate water reserves
• radiant heat protection for the pump

In addition, reasonable steps should be taken to minimise the flammability of exterior structures and to reduce the vulnerability of vital systems, eg brake lines. Australian bushfire fighting is largely mechanised and most burnover incidents have involved mounted crews. Bushfire appliances should be engineered for maximum crew protection. Personal fire shelters may still prove useful if crews are caught away from their vehicles, require additional protection during a severe burnover, or are forced to bail out into still hostile environments during or after a burnover.