Bushfires pose a risk to just about every homeowner in Australia. Fires are of course more of a concern wherever there are dense clusters of vegetation nearby and also in areas with extremely dry weather patterns. The risks of sweeping bushfires are compounded in rural regions where access to firefighting services may be limited.
Modular homes are very common in such areas. So keep reading to ensure that your new modular home, or the one you are planning to build, is as safe as possible from bushfires.
Find out if your land is bushfire prone
The first step to take is to determine if the location of the property you’ve bought, or are considering purchasing, is in a bushfire prone area. Determining this critical information about the type of bushfire threat to your land will determine the type of construction and approvals you will need to get from the building certifier or council.
What is bushfire prone land?
As the name suggests – bushfire prone land is land that is prone or susceptible to bushfires and can include sites that are close to or within forests or heavily wooded areas. Your local council, the rural fire brigade and the state government all work together to decide which areas are the most susceptible to bushfire and the risks involved.
How can I find out if my land is bushfire prone?
The simplest, quickest and easiest way to determine if your land is bushfire prone is to get in contact with your local council. Quite often, your local authority will also have online mapping on their websites which enables you to search for your address and check the relevant overlays. If you're in NSW, you can also use this helpful tool provided by the NSW Rural Fire Service
3 key Bushfire Attack Level factors
The second step to ensuring your home is safe is to set up your home right from the get-go. If the location of your new home site is on bushfire prone land, then it is critical that you take this into consideration as early in the planning stage as possible.
Let’s consider the key factors that go into deciding what level of bushfire attack (BAL) for a home.
1 - Proximity to vegetation
The proximity of vegetation to your new home is one of the main factors that a bushfire consultant will look at when determining the correct BAL rating for your home. The further the vegetation is away from your home, the lower the BAL rating.
2 - The type of vegetation
One of the other factors we need to look at is the type of vegetation that surrounds your site. Thickly wooded areas and forest have a higher bushfire threat, while sparsely spaced trees or grassland is less of a risk.
Check out the NSW Rural fire brigades vegetation definitions here
3 - Slope of land
The final critical factor to consider when siting your home is the slope of the land. Fire will travel up a hill at an exponentially faster rate than downslope or on level ground. Consider where the thickest vegetation on your site is located – if it's downslope of your house, then you will need to consider more protection.
Get a bushfire assessment done
Once you’ve got an approximate site location in mind, its time to get the experts in to look at your site. We always recommend you get a qualified bushfire assessor or consultant in to complete a full analysis of your land, the type of vegetation and slope to provide you with an accurate Bushfire Attack Level rating.
Check out the chart below, which gives an approximate guide as to what each bushfire attack number is and what it means for your construction requirements and costs. Westbuilt can build your modular home to suit any BAL requirements. However, keep in mind that the cost of construction does increase the higher the BAL rating due to the need for reinforced materials.
Custom design services from Westbuilt Homes for bushfire prone areas
So, now you have a bit of an idea of the process that is followed to ensuring your new home is entirely safe from bushfires. Bear in mind that we don’t expect you to do this all yourself! Westbuilt is in contact with reputable bushfire consultants who are more than willing to assist you in protecting your home from bushfires.
Find out more about our custom design service here.
Here's some helpful links
- To find out about building in bushfire-prone areas of NSW: Click Here
- Find out about building in bushfire-prone areas of QLD: Click Here
Interested in building a modular home on your land?
If you think that building a modular home might be right for you, talk to the team at Westbuilt Homes.
We have been designing and building stunning modular homes since 1993. The construction process of a modular home is very different to that of a conventional home, giving you greater control over the construction time, the quality and the timeframe.
To learn more about modular construction, click here to book a no obligation consultation with one of our modular experts. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
