The requirements for the materials used in the installation of skylights depend on the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) for your site. Some general principles include:

• Ensure there are no small gaps (> 2 mm) around the skylight that breach into the roof cavity
• Protect skylights with ember mesh screens that are metal and have holes less than 2mm.
• The glass must comply with AS 3959 (Bushfire Design Standard).
• Flashing elements of tubular skylights must be made of fire-retardant or non-combustible material.
• Tubular skylights should not be used for BAL 29 and above unless it is a tested system to AS 1530.8.1.
• Replace plastic or fibreglass skylights with bushfire-rated skylights and an ember mesh screen. 

Identify the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) of your house and ensure your windows and glass doors meet the standards.

Some helpful tips out of the Australian Standards (AS3959) include

• installing 6 mm+ toughened glass in non-combustible window frames or a fire-rated window system.
• Ensuring windows that extend to the floor meet requirements
• consider bushfire-rated shutters on all external glass
• consider external metal mesh on windows to protect against embers.

For more information check out the resources below.

Openings in the building envelope (windows and doors) have seals so that when they are closed, they are almost air-tight. The seals can keep out embers if they are flame-resistant.

Check the seals on windows, glass sliding doors and swinging doors regularly and replace them if they become worn or damaged (broken, torn or misshapen). Swinging doors should have seals at the bottom, sides and top.

You could also consider installing weather strips, draught excluders or draught seals at the base of swinging doors so there are no gaps greater than 2 mm.

Repair cracked or broken glazing as soon as possible.

Tears or holes in screen on windows and doors to be repaired.

Roof sarking is a strong and pliable sheet installed under tiled and metal roofs. It is usually made with a reflective foil layer on one or both sides.

The best time to install sarking is when constructing a home. It needs to be installed directly below the roofing material. It may be possible to install sarking into an existing roof if you are doing major renovations, i.e. retiling a roof. You should replace or repair sarking if it is damaged.

To improve your bushfire resilience, you should use flame-resistant sarking. This can help prevent ember attack and ignition.

Sarking can also improve the effectiveness of your insulation, improving energy efficiency. It can also reduce the risk of mould in your roof cavity, as it acts as a vapour barrier. This can help to manage condensation and prevent water damage.

Sarking can also reduce the amount of dust entering your roof cavity, and can protect from dust, wind and rain during construction.

Trees usually provide fuel for bushfires to burn. However, when used strategically they can protect people and buildings from wind and radiant heat exposure. They can also be used to filter embers and flying debris. You should choose species that retain green leaves during bushfire season. Select, plant and maintain trees carefully.

Choose trees that don't:

• Produce excessive amounts of leaf litter, fallen bark or woody debris.
• Have loose, flaky, stringy or ribbon-like bark that can spread fire to the canopy. This can become a dangerous source of fine fuel.

Trees must also be positioned carefully. Make sure you keep trees away from buildings, water supplies, powerlines, accessways, exit routes and defendable spaces. You should also separate large trees to minimise the spread of fire, especially canopy-to-canopy fires.

The maintenance of landscaping has a significant impact on the vulnerability of your home to a bushfire. You should include regular garden maintenance in your bushfire survival plan. Areas of unmanaged vegetation can increase the impacts of a bushfire. This can reduce the chances of people and buildings surviving the event. You should:

• remove dead leaves, branches and loose bark from trees
• remove dead twigs, leaves and needles from shrubs and other smaller plants
• prune excess foliage (especially dead or dry foliage) from trees, shrubs and other woody plants
• remove the lower branches of trees. This reduces the chances for a surface fire to burn up into the canopy – remove branches up to 1.5 metres above the ground, but specific heights will depend on the age of the tree and its species
• keep all lawn and grasses short to reduce fuel load and minimise the chances of surface fire
• trim trees and other vegetation near powerlines.

Penetrations and openings are made in roof cladding and walls when the following items are installed:

• aerials
• air conditioners
• skylights
• whirly birds

These penetrations create extra roof edges that must be sealed to keep out embers during bushfires.

Seal any gaps that are larger than 2 mm. This includes gaps:

• around window and door frames,
• junctions between walls and roofs
• junctions between flashings and fascias
• in wall cladding
• in roof cladding

Also, protect vents and weep holes in walls using ember mesh (less than 2 mm)

Bushfire shutters may be used for window or door protection for the various Bushfire Attack Levels, (BALs), however:

• they must protect the entire assembly (including frames, stills and glazing)
• materials must be consistent with the BAL requirements
• they must be fixed to the building and not be removable
• they must be manually operated at the building (inside or outside), and any motorised system must have backup power supply rather than mains power alone
• gaps in shutters should not be greater than 2mm, but the surface may be perforated up to 20% of the overall shutter surface. 

Combustible window components, frames and seals can ignite when exposed to:

• ember attack
• flame contact
• radiant heat attack. 

Glazing can crack or shatter when exposed to radiant heat or flame, depending on the duration and intensity of the exposure. Damaged glazing increases risk for ember attack entry in your house, this can ignite internal furnishings. The gaps in the screens must be less than 2 mm to prevent small embers from passing through and making contact with the glass and frames.

Evaporative cooling units should be fitted with butterfly closers at, or near the ceiling level.

If this is not possible, the unit should be fitted with non-combustible covers. These need a mesh or perforated sheet and should have a maximum aperture of 2mm. It should be made of corrosion-resistant steel, bronze or aluminium.

Vents should be non-combustible and covered with ember mesh screens.

Ember attack can ignite debris matter that has accumulated in gutters and roof valleys. This debris can ignite surrounding elements. This includes eaves, fascias, roof framing and roof battens if they are combustible. Guards with holes less than 2mm can protect against this.

Valley gutters present opportunities for embers to enter the roof. This is especially true where the wind is blowing up the valley as the shape of the roof can concentrates embers in the valley.

You should avoid designing complex roof forms with many valleys and ridges. These require complex roof protection details to prevent ember entry during a bushfire. You should instead choose a simple roof profile to avoid the accumulation of vegetation debris in valley gutters. This may help your resilience.

A re-entrant corner is an internal angle (or corner) formed at the junction where two building walls meet. These are vulnerable to the build-up of debris. This debris can ignite and spread fire to the adjoining surfaces.

You should design simple building footprints that avoid re-entrant corners. This usually means that the roof lines will also be simple, with few valley gutters.

You should try to remove or reduce the use of wall junctions with other building elements. These can create re-entrant corners where embers can accumulate (e.g., a carport roof).

If you have timber frames  you should install non-combustible cladding around all re-entrant corners. This should cover at least 500mm in all directions to protect from fires up to Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) 12.5.

To protect from fires up to BAL 29, you should replace timber cladding with an alternative non-combustible cladding. You should also add flame resistant sarking to resist ember and flame penetration.

The area surrounding your home is called an ‘asset protection zone’, such as your back yard and front yard. The purpose of this is to prevent direct flame contact with your house as it provides a buffer zone between your house and the bushfire. Placing your home in a wide asset protection zone reduces the chance of the fire front reaching your house. 

An asset protection zone and defendable space should have minimal levels of combustible material and clear wide paths for people and vehicles.

Use a non-combustible, non-slip surface to surround your house such as:

• gravel
• compact earth
• concrete
• stone
• brick pavers 

Pathways can also be used to separate areas of vegetation to slow or stop the spread of fire.  

Combustible items and materials should be stored more than 10 metres away from your home or any other structure. This includes woodpiles and rubbish bins. Removing flammable material from around your house lessens the risk that embers will ignite near your house. 

Debris pile-up can pose a risk in an event of a bushfire because:

• embers can ignite debris at the intersection of cladding, decks and the ground
• embers can ignite debris next to the subfloor and the fire can spread to the floor
• glass is vulnerable where embers ignite debris on the ground, windowsills, balustrades, decks, shrubs, and garden beds.

Sprinkler systems inside your house can help control the spread of fire. They can also increase the duration of time your house can survive a bushfire. In some cases they may prevent the total loss of the building. However, water damage to floor coverings, internal linings, furniture, and belongings will occur.

Sprinkler systems installed on your roof that can keep the roof and walls wet. This can help prevent embers from igniting the external cladding. A sprinkler system may be used to wet down your home in advance of a fire.

You should consider using additional sprinkler heads in the roof cavity and under-floor spaces.

A sprinkler specialist should be used when designing this system. Check they are familiar with Australian Standard AS5414:2012 Bushfire water spray systems .

Most systems are placed on the roof, while some systems can be placed around the home to dampen surrounding landscaping and vegetation as well as the building.

A spray system has finer droplet sizes than a drenching system. Fine droplets can be carried by the wind associated with a bushfire, rendering it less effective. A drenching system has heavier droplets but can use more water, and has to be targeted specifically to the building element being protected.

You will need to carefully assess how a sprinkler system would be used, and how well it suits your circumstances.

Sprinkler systems often require activation not too long before the fire reaches your home. If you need to be in place to activate it, this may prevent you from leaving early. Some more modern systems may allow activation remotely by phone.

You will also need to consider power supplies, as mains power can often fail during a bushfire and so water pumps may not work. Sprinkler systems use large amounts of water and will need very regular testing and maintenance. 

A water supply dedicated to fire fighting from the main water supply to your house. Alternatively, a second outlet used for fire fighting purposes with suitable fittings to your State or Territory emergency services can be installed into your water supply tank.

Water is a valuable resource, especially during bushfire season. Installing an appropriate system of water storage tanks, pumps, hoses, pipes, plumbing, fittings, and sprinklers using non-combustible materials may enable the defence of your home in a bushfire event.

When designing a system, consider:

• water storage tanks that are rated for bushfires
• pumps that have sufficient flow capacity (400 litres per minute)
• shielding pumps from radiant heat, ember attack, and flames
• location - will you be able to access the system when you need to

If you have a system in place:

• consider if your system is suitable for your needs
• do you have sufficient water storage capacity?
• is your pump protected from radiant heat, ember attack, and flames?
• does your fire fighting pump have a sufficient flow rate?
• are your storage tanks bushfire rated?
• maintain the installation in good working order

Ensure sufficient water is stored before and during bushfire season

Leaves and other debris can collect around the frames of your solar energy system on your roof. In a bushfire, these can be ignited by embers. You should ask your solar installer/inspector to safely remove debris when it is being inspected. Do not attempt to clear this debris yourself; solar panels generate hundreds of volts of live direct current. Even with power turned off it is too dangerous to undertake yourself.

You should also consider protecting the cables of your solar system with rigid conduits, preferably metal ducts.

You should also ensure that your solar panels are well secured, and that flashings/fixings are sealed with fire-rated silicone. This can stop embers entering the roof space.

Bushfire

Design or redo your floor to be made from non-combustible materials, e.g. a concrete slab on the group. 

Other options include:

• Seal subfloors and underfloor spaces to stop embers from igniting materials
• Use non-combustible materials to completely enclose the area underneath your home. This is important around exposed sub-floor spaces.
• Seal any gaps that are larger than 2mm.
• Use metal mesh to protect vents and weepholes. The mesh should not have gaps over 2mm wide.
• Raised floors built on materials that are combustible (e.g. timber) should be lined with non-combustible materials.
• Supporting posts and walls that are combustible should be protected with non-combustible materials.
• Remove any combustible objects in open underfloor spaces.

Embers can gather around attachments. Examples include:

• carports
• verandas
• patios
• gates
• decks

If left unattended, small ember fires can grow. They could then ignite or break building elements, like combustibles. These include facades, windows, doors, eaves, and subfloors.

You should design carports and other structures to be free-standing. You should also construct them from non-combustible or low-flammability materials. 

Fire retardant coatings can help protect steel, timber, and other substrates. This works by protecting against the heat and flames associated with a bushfire.

You should monitor the condition of any exposed timber surfaces. Decaying timber is vulnerable to bushfire attack. This is because embers may become lodged within gaps and spread fire. These gaps should be sealed and any fire-resistant treatments or coatings need to be reapplied.

You should also monitor painted surfaces for damage. Flaking, cracked, or chipped surfaces can catch fire or spread as embers. They need to be repainted, and fire-retardant treatments reapplied.