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.

If your house is located at the top of a slope, clear the areas below your house. You can also use cut-and-fill and terracing or retaining walls and earth embankments, to act as effective barriers against the spread of fire burning uphill.

Fire spreads much faster going uphill than downhill, and the steepness of the slope will influence how fast a bushfire spreads. The general rule is that for every 10 degrees of slope, a fire will double its rate of spread if moving in the direction of the prevailing wind. 

Fires spreading uphill also have increased flame lengths. Crown fires in large trees are often associated with an uphill run of fire or fire runs driven by very strong winds.

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.  

It's essential that your property maintains appropriate access for fire trucks in case of a surrounding bushfire. Appropriate access means there is room for the trucks to drive onto your property. It also means the trucks won't be too close to bushes and shrubs.

It's not a guarantee that fire trucks will attend your property in the event of a bushfire. However, having appropriate access for the trucks to get on your property means that if they are available, they can help.

Mulching can help retain moisture in the soil. While this is important for plant health it can be a significant fire hazard if used and managed incorrectly.

You must keep mulch moist and ensure that mulched areas are clear of large amounts of combustible materials, such as ground litter. 

Non-combustible mulches, such as pebbles, shells and gravel, are the best option.

Pathways should use non-slip, non-combustible surfaces. This includes:

• concrete
• gravel
• stone
• clay
• pebbles
• hard-packed earth.

Keep them clear of overhanging vegetation.

Don't plant garden beds close to your house.

Separate garden beds and clumps of trees with areas of lawn, paving, or raised garden beds to help slow or stop the spread of surface fires. Lawns can be planted in strategic locations to break up areas of larger, more combustible vegetation.

Raised garden beds or boxes should be made of a non-combustible material to prevent ignition.

Use noncombustible containers, such as stone or concrete pots, for potted plants.

Keep garden beds moist and free from dry or dead vegetation.

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. 

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.

Consider planting lawns and grasses in strategic locations. This can break up areas of larger, more combustible vegetation. A well-irrigated and maintained lawn can be an effective firebreak. This can be successful when combined with non-combustible features like:

• pathways
• fences
• stone walls.

Try choosing plants that have fire-resistant characteristics and remain green through the summer.

Consider planting a lawn to separate larger, dense areas of trees and shrubs. You should keep lawn and grasses short, well-watered and clear of debris.

Fences and garden walls can be barriers to block wind, and shield the house from embers, flames, and radiant heat. They can also help control the spread of debris. They can also help protect people during a bushfire by shielding escape paths. However, if ignited, they can produce flames and radiant heat that can impact the surrounding elements.  

You should use non-combustible materials to build these. Examples include concrete, stone, brick or metal. You should avoid combustible materials, such as timber, bamboo or brushwood. You should also avoid permeable fence styles, such as horizontal or vertical slatted fences, etched metal screens, picket fences, lattices, and wire fences. You should also seal all gaps larger than 2 mm and protect vents and weepholes using metal mesh.  

You should consider installing non-combustible walls around vulnerable objects. This could include gas cylinders, electricity generators, and water pumps. 

Trees near your house, or overhanging the roof, drop leaves and debris. This can gather in gutters, increasing the risk of ignition from ember attack.

Fallen branches can block gutters and damage roof cladding or structures. This can increase the risk of embers entering the roof space. If this occurs, it can damage the building envelope, windows, and doors.

Fallen trees damaging the external building can increase the risk of embers entering the building and igniting contents.