Most older Australians recently surveyed by Flinders University would not follow the Country Fire Services' advice regarding catastrophic fire danger days.
"With bushfires expected to become more frequent, severe, and destructive in residential areas, preparation is crucial for saving lives and reducing financial losses," says report lead researcher Professor Beverley Clarke, a geographer in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
"Older Australians have unique challenges in disaster preparedness due to potential mobility or health issues and limited familiarity with digital emergency communication tools.
"However, our study also found that many older Australians also possess strong community ties and historical knowledge of past bushfire events, which greatly impacts how they understand and respond to the advice."
Looking to understand their preparedness for a bushfire and responses to early warning messages, the researchers interviewed 61 older residents in three high-risk regions in South Australia - the Adelaide Hills, the Coorong, and the Yorke Peninsula - as well as aged care service providers and emergency responders.
"On catastrophic fire days, emergency services advise that the safest option is to leave the threatened region in advance, either the night before or early in the morning, but only 10 percent of those we spoke to indicated they would heed that advice," says report co-author Professor Kirstin Ross, a professor of environmental health in the College of Science and Engineering.
"Many indicated they planned to stay until the fire posed an immediate threat, citing the desire to protect their home, uncertainty about evacuation destinations and logistical difficulties such as pets and mobility issues as reasons to stay.
"Warning fatigue from past alerts that did not result in fires was also highlighted as a reason to delay evacuations."
The study found the few participants who did express willingness to leave early were influenced by adequate insurance coverage, personal experience with bushfires, exposure to compelling survivor testimonies, recognition of personal physical limitations, or, access to clear and practical information.
A significant gender divide also emerged, with women more inclined to evacuate early, while men were more committed to staying and defending their property.
The researchers also investigated residents' bushfire action plans, finding while most had some kind of plan very few had a written plan.
Several factors prevented the formulation of written plans including challenges accessing electronic communication, such as limited internet access or outdated devices, and limited recall of where to access emergency service information.
"Many participants found bushfire preparedness information overwhelming and confusing, or found the generalised nature of the messaging not resonating with them," says sociologist Dr Zoei Sutton, another researcher involved in the study in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
"Yorke Peninsula participants in particular highlighted they did not have a clear, reliable safer place to evacuate to on a catastrophic fire danger day, adding to the complexity of their planning."
Many residents said they relied on informal networks such as family and community members for guidance and decision-making around when to leave ahead of a bushfire.
The researchers say their report highlights the need for more tailored bushfire preparedness messaging that takes into account differing geographic and social factors.
"Older Australians have a wealth of knowledge and much experience to offer. If we involve them in production of messaging it may resonate better with them, and we may see more older residents heed warnings and leave bushfire prone locations much earlier on catastrophic fire danger days," says Professor Clarke.
"Australia's population is ageing, and the risk of bushfires is increasing. It is important vulnerable members of the community have access to meaningful messaging that is clear, practical and engaging. This will improve bushfire resilience that will ultimately save lives."
The team was assisted by South Australia's Country Fire Service to undertake the research.
