Waking up to the sound of kookaburras, breathing in fresh, clean air and being surrounded by nature – it’s easy to see why around seven million Australians choose to make their homes in rural or semi-rural areas.1
As peaceful and picturesque as it is, Australia is one of the most bushfire-prone countries in the world, and many regional and rural communities are vulnerable.2
Factor in the effects of climate change, and the risk of bushfire is increasing in many regions – even in places not previously vulnerable, says Mark Dobson, active firefighter and volunteer team manager at Disaster Relief Australia.
“Victoria and South Australia have historically had far worse bushfires than New South Wales, but as the climate is changing and the (fuel load) is drying out more quickly, that is changing,” says Mark.
“We’re now seeing longer, more unpredictable bushfire seasons and bushfire threat in areas that have traditionally not been significantly impacted, as we saw during the 2019-20 Black Summer.”
Higher fuel loads, Mark adds, are also increasing the vulnerability of residents in the urban-bushland interface – populated areas with high levels of vegetation on the outskirts of towns and cities.3
“People who might have been in a really low-level bushfire zone may now be in a higher one because of the fuel load in their areas,” explains Mark.
Understanding how bushfire-prone your area is can help you identify the precautions you need to take to prepare your home for a bushfire emergency.
What constitutes a bushfire-prone area?
Bushfire-prone areas are places that have been identified as being at risk of bushfire.4 Climatic conditions, local landscapes and the amount of vegetation available as fuel are all factors that contribute to an area’s level of risk.5
Building within a bushfire-prone area requires a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment, which outlines the national minimum construction standard your building must meet.6
“The BAL is calculated for a property based on fuel characteristics, distance from vegetation and slope,” says Duncan Sutherland, Deputy Director of UNSW Bushfire.
The impact of climate change on bushfire risk
Human-caused climate change is driving a trend towards more dangerous bushfire conditions through increased temperatures and drier conditions.7 As a result, we’re now seeing areas previously unaffected by bushfires more prone to attack, says Mark.
“Because of El Nino, things really dried out in drought-prone areas, but even areas that normally wouldn’t be drought-prone didn’t get the same amount of rain they have got in the past,” he shares.
“Areas up in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland are subtropical, so they’re quite wet nearly all the time and would normally not be impacted by bushfires.
“But through Black Summer, there were some really bad fires and lots of houses lost around Casino and on the border with Queensland, which is very unusual.”
How to research your home’s bushfire risk level
Mark says you can check with your local fire service for tips on how to calculate your bushfire rating. Alternatively, there are online tools for different states to help you assess your area’s risk level.
“Bushfire zones can change a little bit, but for the most part, they’re based on the proximity of housing to the bush and the nature of the bush, such as the topography, whether the bushland is scrub, trees or grass – these factors all determine the fuel load,” Mark explains.
Bushfire-prone area designations can change over time due to factors such as urban development, vegetation changes and climate patterns.5 Mark recommends checking your status regularly, especially if you’re planning any new construction or development on your property.
Useful state and territory websites
Most state and territory governments provide online maps or other resources to help residents identify if their property is in a bushfire-prone area. Here are some useful links to get you started:
Australian Capital Territory: ACTmapi Bushfire Map
New South Wales: Check if you’re in bush fire prone land
Northern Territory: Managing bushfire in the NT
Queensland: Postcode Checker
South Australia: Building in bushfire-prone areas
Tasmania: Bushfire-Prone Areas
Victoria: Bushfire mapping and reviews
Western Australia: View a map of bush fire prone areas
Other helpful resources include the CSIRO’s Bushfire Attack Level Assessment Tool,8 which can help you gauge your property’s bushfire risk, and the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services’ Seasonal Outlook,9 which provides an overview of the predicted bushfire risk for the forthcoming season in your area.
How to check your building’s resilience
An easy way to understand your home’s bushfire risk is through the free Australian Government-funded Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app.10 This app reviews the external features of your home to calculate how vulnerable it is to bushfire and provides a list of ways you could improve your home’s resilience.
Community consultation
Tapping into your local community can be a good way to get first-hand knowledge and insights into bushfire behaviours in your area. Working with your local community benefits everyone, Mark says.
“If you prepare your backyard really well but your neighbour’s is a mess, the likelihood of fire spreading into your property really increases, so it’s a group effort.”
“If there are no unmanaged backyards in the street, it makes it so much easier for any firefighter who turns up to defend that street.”
Building in a bushfire-prone area
As a way of managing the risk to homes in bushfire-prone areas, new builds must obtain a BAL rating to determine their design and construction requirements.6 There are six BAL rating stages, and these can help establish construction requirements for new buildings on your property or help you better manage an existing one.11
Mark explains that the BAL rating calculates the amount of heat that would be generated during a bushfire in a particular area.
“It ranges from ‘low’ right through to what is called the ‘flame zone’,” he says.
“The ‘flame zone’ describes a heat flux threshold of 40 or above. It gets to the point where if there is that much energy coming out of the fire, anything within 10 metres of it just bursts into flame.”
The higher your BAL rating, the more extensive the fire-resisting measures you may need to incorporate into your building.
How to make your home more bushfire resilient
Mark says there are a few simple ways you can improve your home and surrounding property to make it more resilient to the impacts of bushfire.
- Keep the area adjacent to the bushland as clear and green as possible. “Grass doesn’t burn very well, particularly when it’s well watered and neatly trimmed.”
- Maintain your garden beds. “Remove any foliage that is dead and compost it. Make sure your compost is a good mixture of dirt and not just a pile of dry leaves.”
- Consider if embers came into your backyard, where would they go and what would they burn? If you need to make changes, ensure they meet your local building codes. “If your house is on stumps and the wind could blow things underneath, block it off with fly wire. Look at the seals around your windows and doors and underneath the gables of your roof, and make sure there are no gaps. Fill any holes with fibreglass or woollen insulation.”
- Develop a plan suitable for your home. “If your house is made of weatherboard, you might make a plan to prepare as best you can but to leave early, because a wooden house is much harder to defend.”
Understanding your home’s bushfire risk level can help you take proactive measures to protect your property and loved ones – including animals. However, Mark warns that bushfires are always unpredictable, so it’s always important to stay informed about local conditions and prepare for the unexpected.
For more expert tips to help you get bushfire ready, visit our you.prepared emergency content hub.
Mark Dobson
An active firefighter with more than 20 years of experience, Mark Dobson is the Founder of Ordinary Courage, a workplace mental health consultancy. Mark is a Churchill Fellow, a volunteer team manager for Disaster Relief Australia and a recipient of the Australian Fire Service Medal (2020) for his pioneering work supporting first responders’ mental health. Youi is proud to partner with Mark in the creation of this bushfire preparedness content.
The content in this article has been prepared based on current government and emergency services guidelines and expert advice provided at the time of publishing. This information is subject to change. Please be sure to check for the latest information and always consider your personal circumstances regarding bushfire preparedness and response.
Where you have increased your cover or reduced your excess within 72 hours (or other period noted on your policy schedule) of a flood, storm, hail or bushfire occurring, cover will be limited to the amount that was effective prior to the change. Loss, damage or legal liability caused by, resulting or arising from flood, storm, hail or bushfire during the first 72 hours (or other period noted on your policy schedule) of your policy first being purchased is excluded unless certain conditions apply. Refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement for full T&Cs.
1 Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Rural and remote health, April 2024
2 Source: Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience – Why do people relocate to bushfire-prone areas in Australia?, April 2024
3 Source: Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience – Living with bushfires on the urban-bush interface, January 2020
4 Source: Vic Government – Building in designated bushfire prone areas, July 2024
5 Source: Your Home – Bushfire protection
6 Source: Victorian Building Authority – Bushfire areas and overlays
7 Source: Bureau of Meteorology – How weather affects fires
8 Source: CSIRO – Bushfire Attack Level Assessment Tool
9 Source: National Council for Fire and Emergency Services – Seasonal Outlook
10 Source: Resilient Building Council – Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment
11 Source: CSIRO – BAL assessment
