THE interim findings of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission have called for dramatic key changes in dealing with fires.
The commission's interim report also calls for changes to the "stay or go" policy and for dramatically upgraded warning systems, along with a big upgrade to the amount of information to be made available to people endangered by fires.
It says communication failures and a shortage of direct and detailed fire warnings led many to perish unnecessarily in the Black Saturday bushfires.
In criticising the "stay or go" policy, it says a lack of emphasis on the risks associated with staying to defend properties led many to believe they would able to adequately fight the fires.
The commission also says people who live in bushfire-prone areas have to have an awareness of the fire risks and ensure the safety of themselves and those in their care.
Among its recommendations, it says Victoria's Country Fire Authority should advise communities in bushfire prone areas the safest option during a fire is always to leave rather than stay and defend.
It says the CFA should continue to educate communities to leave early or prepare and stay and defend their homes, but stresses that people should be prepared well before a fire occurs.
The CFA should make it clear the safest option is always to leave and not all homes are defendable, the report recommends.
The commission was set up after the worst bushfires in Australian history killed 173 people, destroyed more than 2000 homes and burnt 430,000ha of land.
"There were a number of weaknesses and failures with Victoria's information and warning systems on 7 February," its interim report says.
"Warnings were often delayed which meant that many people were not warned at all or the amount of time they had to respond to the warnings was much less that it should be."
"We don't want this tragedy to ever happen again,'' Victorian Premier John Brumby said.
"We all need to learn from this terrible disaster."
He thanked the thousands of firefighters who worked on Black Saturday.
"We saw and heard some of the worst things that you would ever hear or see,'' he said.
But the tragedy also brought out the best in human behaviour, he said.
"We remember all of those that lost so much on that terrible, terrible day.''
A key recommendation is the overhaul of the "stay or go" policy that includes telling residents death is a possible consequence of not evacuating early.
They would be told that getting out early is their safest option and that some, including children, the elderly and infirm, have no place in the path of a bushfire.
The commission recommends that the Country Fire Authority (CFA) provides more explicit information to residents about the risks of staying put and the requirements for defending their home, including that it may be undefendable.
"Unquestionably the safest course is always to leave early,'' the interim report says.
"For those who choose to stay and defend, the risks should be spelt out more plainly, including the risk of death.
"People should also be encouraged to recognise that not all houses are defendable in all situations and contingencies need to be considered in case the plan to stay and defend fails.''
The commission recommends that the public be educated about the "considerable effort'' needed to prepare a property so that it is defendable and that some properties because of their nature and locality, will not be defendable in extremely dangerous bushfires.
"Properties also need to have a range of auxiliary equipment to bushfire standards, and an ample water supply that will not be affected by a loss of mains power,'' the report says.
"The commission has recommended that the emphasis of CFA community education literature and advice be changed and improved to more realistically acknowledge the risks of extremely dangerous bushfires.''
- with AAP
