Understanding how bushfires behave and how buildings are typically impacted is essential for determining what measures can be taken to mitigate bushfire risks. Research has shown that house loss is a complex phenomenon that is dependent on a combination of factors, including fire severity, house design, and the type and arrangement of surrounding objects. For any bushfire event, it is important to assess the potential intensity of the fire and to know how to respond to the different types of bushfire attack.

The level of bushfire hazard that a building experiences is influenced by a combination of factors, including the weather and local climate conditions, topography, and fuel load from unmanaged vegetation: as well as other consequential fire sources

The potential bushfire hazards a house may experience are a combination of the:

  • potential intensity of the bushfire including:

    • the vegetation that can carry a fire front proximal to the house

    • weather and topography, which will influence the intensity of the bushfire and the potential impacts that the house could experience

    • separation of the house from vegetation

  • vegetation and other combustible objects near the house.

Defining and mapping bushfire hazards (including other generic fire hazards such as neighbouring buildings and combustible material on your property) will help you to understand how a bushfire might impact your house or future house location. This information will help you determine the type of measures you might wish to employ in terms of bushfire resilient construction and landscaping to adequately address these hazards.

Table 1: Bushfire Attack Level

bushfire attack level

Important to note:

The use of bushfire resilient design and construction materials should be considered the last layer of bushfire defence. Buildings located in bushfire prone areas should be able to withstand attack from bushfire and other consequential fires, at the intensity expected at their location. However, prevention (preventing hazards from reaching the house) should be your primary goal.

We’ve developed below a Bushfire Fact sheet that helps to define what costs are associated with each Bushfire rating which is specific to your site and report we will have to conduct or be provided to classify your site.