Article by By  B.C Lewis - Sept. 22, 2015, midnight

Featured in Blue Mountains Gazette:
http://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/3363832/bunkering-down-in-fire/

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Only half a dozen homes in the Blue Mountains have installed a Wildfire Safety Bunker and the Victorian company's owner Anthony Tratt wants to know why.

"I am led to believe we are the only accredited [bunker] manufacturer in Australia but my Google analytics on the website shows the Blue Mountains, and NSW in general, has been a place where they don't gel. It's very strange and that's why we're here to show there's another tool."

Mr Tratt was at the Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise's Bushfire Building Conference Expo over the weekend, displaying one of his $12,500 concrete bunkers [up to $20,000 installed] to the Mountains community.

The former plumber spent seven years testing concrete and steel for fire loading in a BHP research lab in Melbourne in the 90s, then thought of putting that knowledge to work after "so many died in the Californian bushfires of 2007".

"I thought this is ridiculous, why hasn't someone built a bushfire bunker," Mr Tratt said.

No-one has used his underground bunker in an actual wild fire, but his product has passed rigorous testing by the Rural Fire Service equivalent in Victoria - the Country Fire Authority, the Victorian government, the Victorian Building Authority, as well as the Australian Building Codes Board and he has "sold hundreds" around Australia, particularly in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. He is now in negotiations with a manufacturer in America.

"It is our own special blend of concrete, with a 45kg stainless steel bunker door," he said. The concrete's incredibly strong and water tight and can take a minor tree strike.

"In some areas of Victoria if you have an accredited bushfire shelter you don't have to spend an extra $100,000 on your home [in Bushfire Attack Flame zone building requirements]. You can build to one level less," he said.

Mr Tratt said those who had bought the six to 22 tonne airtight bunkers usually wanted to keep that information private.

The larger bunkers hold up to 12 people safely for an hour - longer if numbers are lower.

"Most people keep it pretty quiet, otherwise they might have a whole lot of brand new friends during a bushfire."

One person giving the underground bunker a once over was 76-year-old Springwood resident John Szymanski.

"It's a wonderful idea. I just wonder what we have been doing about this for the past 76 years [that I've been alive] that there has been bushfires."

"And it would make a very good grog cellar being underground," he added laughing.

Mr Tratt said bunkers were even more necessary now than in earlier years as arson rates had almost doubled in some states in the last few decades.

"We've probably had about 100 people [this weekend from the Mountains] who have said they are interested and some asking for a site inspection, but you never know until they [the bunkers] are in the ground."

"Some people thought council would have a problem with them but it's just a normal building application. Hopefully we'll get more of them in the Mountains."

The Wildfire Safety Bunker is fully accredited by the Victorian Building Regulations Advisory Committee to the highest published Australian standard. It is also approved for use, subject to local site assessment, by the Building Rules Assessment Commission in South Australia. There are currently no other specific accreditation processes for wildfire safety shelters in other States and Territories of Australia or Federally. However, subject to compliance with local planning laws, the WSB is suitable for use in all Australian jurisdictions due to its performance characteristics.

Contact Mountain Fire Protection for more information.