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A bushfire emergency kit is a grab-and-go collection of water, food, medicines, communication gear, protective clothing, documents and household supplies that supports your written bushfire survival plan. Assemble it before the fire season, store it where everyone can reach it quickly, and load it with people and pets when your plan says to leave. A kit cannot make a late evacuation safe and is not a substitute for official warnings or a decision to leave early.

Australian fire agencies do not publish one universal packing list. The right contents depend on your state or territory advice, household size, medical needs, pets, transport and how long electricity, water, communications, shops or pharmacies could be unavailable. Use the checklist below as a base, then adapt it to your local plan.

1. Build the kit before fire season

Prepare the kit well before a fire threatens. NSW Rural Fire Service puts the timing plainly: “Prepare an emergency survival kit before the bush fire season starts.” Keep everything together in a sturdy, waterproof container or several clearly labelled bags. Store it in a known, accessible place—not buried in a shed behind heavy equipment. NSW guidance recommends reflective tape so the container can be found in darkness.

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Check the kit before every fire season and after every use. Replace expired medicines, depleted batteries, outgrown children’s clothing, stale food and damaged documents. Keep a short inventory on the lid so a second person can check it quickly.

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Plan for both the journey and the days after an evacuation. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) warns that electricity, communications, water, gas, shops and pharmacies may be unavailable after an emergency; remote households may need longer-duration supplies. Your written household plan and local fire authority determine the likely duration.

Use the kit as part of a written plan

Write down your trigger for leaving, where you will go, alternate routes, meeting points, who collects children or pets, and how you will receive warnings. Practice putting the kit, people and animals into the car. Remove obstacles from the vehicle, keep fuel above a safe level and make sure the kit can be loaded without unpacking the boot.

NEMA’s checklist says: “Act decisively and early – don’t wait until the last minute.” Follow emergency warnings and your household plan. A survival kit listed by NSW RFS can be useful whether you leave or remain, but that wording is not encouragement to defend a property; the official warning and your written plan govern your action.

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2. The core bushfire emergency-kit checklist

Information, lighting and communications

  • Portable battery-operated radio, preferably with spare batteries. A battery-powered emergency radio lets you receive warnings when mobile networks or mains power fail.
  • Waterproof torch or head torch, plus spare batteries. A head torch leaves both hands free for carrying children, opening gates or treating injuries.
  • Mobile phones, charging cables, a charged power bank and, where practical, a vehicle charger.
  • Printed emergency contact numbers, the address of your evacuation destination, meeting points and key medical contacts. Do not rely solely on contacts stored in a phone.

Keep the radio and torch in the top of the container. Test them during each seasonal check and replace batteries before they leak or expire. Store spare batteries in packaging that prevents loose terminals from touching metal objects.

Agree on one person who monitors official warnings and one backup person. Write down which state or territory emergency channels you will use, because a kit is only useful when someone acts on the information it provides. If family members separate, use the printed meeting point and contact list rather than repeatedly driving through smoke to find one another.

First aid, medicines and hygiene

  • Complete first-aid kit and a first-aid manual.
  • Regular medicines in original labelled containers, copies of prescriptions and a list of doses, allergies and medical conditions. NEMA’s checklist specifies a minimum of three days of medication; households that may be isolated should ask their clinician or pharmacist how to maintain a longer reserve safely.
  • Essential medical equipment and consumables, such as glucose supplies, inhalers, mobility aids, hearing-aid batteries, continence products or wound-care items.
  • Personal hygiene supplies: soap, hand sanitiser, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, menstrual products, nappies and waste bags.
  • P2 or N95 particulate masks for smoke. NSW guidance identifies these masks as able to filter fine smoke particles. They must fit correctly; a mask is not a reason to stay in a dangerous area or delay leaving.

Keep a medication list in the waterproof document pouch and another copy with the medicine bag. Note allergies, adverse reactions, dose times and the name of the prescriber. Put medicines that must be taken at a particular time in the grab-now bag, not in a box that may remain in the house. Ask in advance about storage requirements for medicines affected by heat or loss of refrigeration; do not improvise a storage method during an evacuation.

Pack enough hygiene supplies for the likely period away, including items that are difficult to replace at a relief centre. Separate used masks, dressings and other waste in sealable bags. A first-aid kit does not replace professional care: call emergency services when safe and follow instructions from responders.

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Water and food

Pack drinking water in sealed containers that can be carried safely. NSW Rural Fire Service and South Australian Country Fire Service (SA CFS) advise at least three litres of drinking water per person per day. SA CFS also advises food for at least 48 hours. These are preparedness recommendations, not a guarantee that every household can manage on that amount: add water for medicines, infants, pets, heat and remote travel, and follow your local authority’s current advice.

Use the three-litre figure as a planning calculation, not as a single bottle to grab at the door. For example, four people for three days require at least 36 litres for drinking before allowing for additional household needs. Count the water already stored in the kit, then add a transportable reserve if the destination or route is uncertain. Remote households should plan for the longer period identified by their local authority.

  • Bottled or otherwise safely stored drinking water, with sturdy bottles or a collapsible container for transport.
  • Packaged, shelf-stable or long-life food that needs little or no cooking.
  • Manual can opener, disposable utensils, cups and a small rubbish-bag supply.
  • Food for infants, medically necessary diets and allergies, labelled with preparation instructions.

Choose foods household members will actually eat when stressed, and include items that do not depend on a refrigerator, microwave or mains electricity. Rotate food and water before each season. Do not assume a household water tank, refrigerator or supermarket will be usable during a fire or after a power outage.

Protective clothing and smoke protection

  • Change of clothes for each person, including long-sleeved, natural-fibre garments.
  • Sturdy enclosed boots, a broad-brimmed hat, safety glasses or goggles and work gloves.
  • Appropriate smoke masks, selected for fit and the wearer’s health needs.
  • Pure wool blanket if your local advice recommends one. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) warns against synthetic fibres and blends and says never to shelter under a wet wool blanket. Keep the blanket dry and use it only as directed by the authority.

Pack clothing in individual labelled bags so a wet or dirty change does not contaminate the rest of the kit. Check that boots still fit children and that every person can put on their own shoes quickly. Avoid loose synthetic clothing around radiant heat. Protective clothing reduces exposure during an orderly move; it does not make it safe to enter fire-affected areas.

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Documents, money and access items

  • Identification, insurance details, medical information, prescriptions and copies of important household records.
  • Waterproof folder, pouch or container for originals and backup copies. Store encrypted digital copies where you can access them without relying on a single phone.
  • Cash and payment cards; electronic payment systems may be unavailable.
  • House, car, gate and other essential keys.
  • Glasses, contact-lens supplies and hearing-aid accessories.

Keep documents current. Photographing a document is useful only if the image is readable and backed up somewhere accessible during an outage. Include the contact details for your insurer, doctor, pharmacist, school, carer and destination. Keep one copy with the kit and, where practical, another with a trusted person outside the affected area.

3. Tailor the kit to every person and animal

Babies and children

  • Nappies, wipes, formula or expressed-milk supplies, bottles and safe drinking water.
  • Child-sized clothing, medication, snacks and a comfort item such as a favourite toy or blanket.
  • Written details of allergies, routines and emergency contacts for a child who may be separated from a parent.

Use a small child-specific bag that an adult can lift quickly. Explain the leave plan in age-appropriate language and practise putting on shoes, finding the meeting point and getting into the vehicle. Replace clothing, nappies and food as children grow rather than waiting for the seasonal check.

Older people and people with disability or chronic illness

  • Mobility aids, transfer equipment, communication cards and spare batteries or charging cables.
  • Several days of essential medicines and consumables, with a current medication schedule.
  • Glasses, hearing aids, dentures and cleaning supplies.
  • Plans for transport, personal assistance, service animals and accessible accommodation at the destination.

Ask each person what would prevent them from leaving quickly, then put the solution in the kit or the vehicle. A neighbour, carer or alternate driver should know the plan if the primary helper is unavailable. Include a written description of how to operate essential equipment so an unfamiliar helper can assist safely.

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Pets and livestock

  • Current identification details, vaccination or medical records and a recent photograph.
  • Leash, harness, carrier or crate; do not rely on an animal being willing to walk through smoke or unfamiliar surroundings.
  • Food and drinking water for the planned duration, bowls, medication and waste bags.
  • Familiar bedding, towel or toy to reduce stress.

Check that your destination accepts animals and identify a backup location. Include livestock trailers, gates, feed and a transport contact in the wider plan; a small household kit cannot replace those arrangements. Keep carriers and leads beside the kit, not stored where a frightened animal could block access. Make sure identification details remain current if a phone number, address or registration changes.

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4. Decide how much to pack

There is no standard Australian kit size. Compare your plan against the factors below before buying containers or filling the car:

Planning factor Questions to answer Effect on the kit
Household size How many people, children and animals may leave together? Scale water, food, medicines, clothing and transport space.
Likely disruption Could roads, power, water, mobile networks, shops or pharmacies be unavailable? Increase supplies for the duration your local plan identifies; remote homes may need more.
Medical and access needs Who needs refrigerated medicine, powered equipment, mobility help or a carer? Add backup power, cold-storage arrangements, consumables and an assistance plan.
Leave-ready load Can the kit fit with people and pets in the vehicle? Use smaller labelled bags and pre-position bulky items such as water.
Destination Will you stay with friends, at a relief centre or elsewhere? Pack identification, bedding, toiletries and information needed on arrival.

Separate “grab now” items from supplies that can be loaded in a second trip only if authorities say it is safe. A labelled document pouch, medication bag, phone power bank and pet leads should be immediately visible.

Use two practical kit levels

A compact leave-ready bag should contain the items that must travel with you every time: medicines, identification, phone power, radio, torch, masks, keys, water, essential food and pet leads. A larger reserve can hold additional water, food, clothing, hygiene supplies and bedding for several days. This division prevents bulky supplies from hiding the items needed in the first minutes of departure.

Keep the reserve in the same known location and mark each bag with its contents and owner. If two vehicles may leave separately, duplicate critical items rather than assuming the second vehicle can return. Recalculate quantities whenever someone joins or leaves the household, a pet is added, or the planned destination changes.

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5. Prepare for power, communications and access failures

NEMA lists electricity, communications, water, gas, shops and pharmacies among services that may be unavailable after an emergency. Treat each outage as a separate planning question. The radio and printed contacts cover information; the power bank and vehicle charger support phones; stored water and shelf-stable food cover immediate needs; cash covers purchases when electronic payment is unavailable.

Write down how you will manage any task that normally depends on mains power, such as charging mobility equipment or keeping a medicine within its required storage range. Confirm arrangements with a clinician, pharmacist, carer or equipment provider before fire season. Do not assume a relief centre will have the exact supplies, charging connections or privacy your household needs.

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Road access can change while a fire is burning. Keep alternate destinations and routes on paper, and do not drive through a closed road or smoke-obscured route. The kit supports an early departure; it is not permission to wait for a final route confirmation when your plan says to leave.

6. Store, inspect and practise the kit

  1. Choose the location. Use a cool, dry place near an exit, vehicle or other agreed departure point. Every household member should know it.
  2. Make it visible. Mark the container clearly and add reflective tape so it can be located during a night evacuation or power failure.
  3. Pack by task. Keep lighting and communications together, medicines in a separate grab bag, documents in a waterproof pouch, and pet supplies where they cannot be forgotten.
  4. Record expiry dates. Put a seasonal reminder in your calendar to rotate food, water, batteries, masks and medicines.
  5. Run a loading drill. Time how long it takes to move the kit, people and pets into the car. Repack if the boot blocks access to essential items.
  6. Update the plan. Recheck routes, contact numbers, children’s needs, pet arrangements and local warning channels before each fire season.

During the inspection, open every bag rather than relying on a label. Test the radio, torch, charger and power bank; check that seals on water containers are intact; inspect masks for damage and confirm they still fit the intended wearer. Verify that documents show current names, addresses, prescriptions and insurance details. Ask another household member to find and carry the kit so you can identify confusing labels or an impractical weight.

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After any drill or real evacuation, write down what was hard to reach, what ran out first and what was left behind. Repack immediately while the experience is fresh. A seasonal calendar reminder should cover the kit, vehicle fuel, route review and contact with carers or animal transport providers.

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7. Use official advice during a fire

Monitor your state or territory fire service and emergency-warning channels. The agencies below provide the underlying checklists and should take priority over a generic shopping list:

When an official warning tells you to leave, take the prepared kit and go according to your plan. Do not wait to finish packing, collect optional belongings or verify that a route still looks clear. Conditions can change faster than a vehicle can travel.

8. Common kit mistakes and fixes

  • Storing it where nobody can find it: move it to an agreed exit location and label it.
  • Relying on one phone: add a radio, torch, printed contacts and independent power.
  • Underestimating medicines: maintain the NEMA minimum of three days where possible and arrange a longer supply when isolation is plausible.
  • Forgetting household differences: use separate person-specific bags for infants, disability equipment, medical supplies and pets.
  • Buying unsafe blankets: follow CFA’s pure-wool guidance; never shelter under a wet wool blanket.
  • Packing only for the drive: include water, food, hygiene supplies and documents for the period after services stop.
  • Practising too late: run a car-loading drill before fire season, while there is time to fix access or transport problems.
  • Putting everything in one heavy box: divide the load into labelled bags so one person can carry essential items and the vehicle can be loaded in priority order.
  • Ignoring the destination: confirm whether friends, relief centres or accommodation accept children, pets, mobility equipment and service animals.

9. A printable final check

  • Container is waterproof, labelled and reachable; reflective tape is fitted.
  • Radio, torch, spare batteries, phone chargers and power bank work.
  • Water quantity is calculated for every person and pet; food is shelf-stable.
  • Medicines, prescriptions, first aid, masks and hygiene supplies are current.
  • Clothing, boots, hat, eye protection, gloves and a suitable blanket are packed.
  • Identification, insurance and medical records are in a waterproof pouch with backups.
  • Cash, cards and keys are included.
  • Children’s, older people’s, disability-related and pet supplies are complete.
  • Car space, fuel, destination and alternate routes have been checked.
  • Every household member knows the trigger to leave and where the kit is stored.
  • Three days of medicines are available where possible, with a clinician-approved plan for longer isolation.
  • A radio warning, printed contact list and meeting point are available if phone service fails.
  • Someone has practised loading the kit, people and animals without blocking access to essential items.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water should go in a bushfire emergency kit?

NSW Rural Fire Service and South Australian Country Fire Service advise at least three litres of drinking water per person per day. SA CFS also advises food for at least 48 hours. Calculate the amount for your household, then add water for infants, medicines, pets, heat and any longer period your local plan identifies.

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How many days of medicine should I pack?

The National Emergency Management Agency checklist asks for a minimum of three days of medication. If your household could be isolated longer, ask your doctor or pharmacist how to maintain a safe additional supply and any required storage conditions.

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Should I stay and defend my home if I have a kit?

No kit decides that for you. Follow your written bushfire survival plan and official warnings. NSW RFS describes a survival kit as useful whether leaving or remaining, but that does not replace an early-evacuation decision or emergency directions.

Are P2 or N95 masks enough to make evacuation safe?

NSW guidance identifies P2/N95 masks as able to filter fine smoke particles when fitted correctly. They reduce exposure but do not make a dangerous area safe, and they must not delay leaving.

What type of blanket belongs in the kit?

Where your local authority recommends a blanket, CFA advises pure wool and warns against synthetic fibres and blends. Never shelter under a wet wool blanket. Keep it dry and use it only as directed by the relevant authority.

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What should I pack for pets?

Include identification and medical records, a leash, harness, carrier or crate, food, drinking water, bowls, medication, waste bags and familiar bedding or a toy. Confirm that your destination accepts animals and arrange a backup location.

Where should the kit be stored?

Keep it in a sturdy waterproof container or clearly labelled bags in a place every household member can reach quickly. NSW recommends reflective tape so it can be found in darkness. Check and replenish it before each fire season.

What is the difference between an evacuation kit and a general emergency kit?

An evacuation kit prioritises items that must leave immediately—medicines, documents, phone power, water, food, lighting and pet restraints. A larger reserve adds supplies for several days without electricity, water, shops or pharmacies. Both should follow your household plan and local advice.

The Bottom Line

Assemble and test your bushfire emergency kit before fire season, store it where everyone can reach it, and tailor quantities to your household, pets, medical needs and likely service disruption. Keep water, food, medicines, lighting, communications, documents and protective clothing ready, practise loading the car, and act decisively and early when official warnings or your written plan say to leave.

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