NB: Please monitor the fire danger conditions before coming to the monastery. Check the home page for posts about monastery closures if the fire risk becomes Extreme or Catastrophic.
Santi Forest Monastery is located in a very high bushfire risk area. The main aim of the monastery’s Bushfire Emergency Plan is to protect the lives of all monastery residents and visitors.
This plan specifies, according to the Fire Danger Rating for the day, the things that must be done daily by residents and visitors to the monastery to help protect us from bushfire. See the table below for instructions you need to follow when visiting, according to the different fire danger ratings.
Fire Danger Rating
Before you visit the monastery for the day during the fire season please check the current fire danger rating for the Illawarra/Shoalhaven area. If the rating is Severe or higher you may need to consider cancelling your visit.
Note that the rating may change daily. Most TV and radio weather reports give these ratings.
Ratings and accurate up-to-date information are also given on the website of the NSW Rural Fire Service: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans
Also check here for up-to-date road closures: https://www.livetraffic.com/desktop.html
Fire Rating Procedure at Santi
Low to Very High:
- Please park in the designated parking areas – nose out, for quick exit in case of an emergency. Do not park in the driveway of the house and do not block the exit road.
- You may visit the Big Cave.
Severe:
- Please park in the designated parking areas – nose out, for quick exit in case of an emergency. Do not park in the driveway of the house and do not block the exit road.
- You may NOT visit the Big Cave.
Extreme:
- Please check with the monastery by phone or email before coming.
- You may drop off dana at the entrance of the kitchen but you may need to leave leave immediately afterwards.
- You may NOT visit the Big Cave.
- In case of a near fire, the monastery will be closed, a sign placed at the gate and community evacuated.
Catastrophic:
- The monastery will be closed and dana cancelled. A sign will be placed at the gate and community ready to evacuate if need be.