The Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council, chief executive Naomi Brown says,

"The key question residents will need to ask themselves is what price they are prepared to put on their safety and the defendability of their home?"

"Property losses are perhaps inevitable but the loss of human lives can easily be reduced to a tiny fraction of that recently experienced (in Victoria).

The keys will be systematic fuel reduction burns and the "stay and fight" strategy to be generally adopted but only permitted where a purpose-built fire shelter is within easy reach. There are no realistic alternatives."