Fire Danger Zoneing?

[Nikked]

With the tragic circumstances in NSW right now, the same question gets asked everytime...


What can be done?


Obviously people like to have a choice and be able to live away from the 'concrete jungle', you can't blame them for it, being out in the bush with clean air, birds etc.


However, will/should there be some sort of "fire danger zone" similar to flood zones?

Logistically its probably a bit far-fetched, a fire zone is obviously hard to predict as anywhere has potential. But densely wooded hilly areas seem to be the greatest problem, fires rage up the side of a hill quickly and often cannot be accessed easily.

Down side will be insurers, whom will treat it like they do flood zones when it comes to pay-outs...

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

They already exist, most rural properties have a fire zone restrictions and building codes.

At the end of the day it's up to people to make an educated decision before they build a house and assess the risk.

I mean you build your house out of timber in the blue mountains, what would a reasonable person foresee is going to happen at bush fire time

The same question does get asked every time, and the answer should always be the same, don't build there or take the necessary precautions to protect your property.

[pottery beige]

i blame climate change

[Yellow_Festiva]

I'm far from 'the bush' and the system in place, while it has it's merits is a bloody joke. They have gone from nothing to impossible and the obvious flaws in the zoning system, and the way people love to pass the buck because, after all who wants to be the one left with the 'approved' stamp for my submission???

Have a vacant block that's 'Bush Fire Zoned'... and to be honest, I'm keeping a whole bunch of paper pushers employed with the hoops I need to jump through to get even my DA approved. Up to my 4th revision in 8 months.

Having said that, the first guy from the council was the son of an unmarried mother and after threatening heavy and swift legal action he is all of a sudden 'on leave' the following day and the new guy is tasked with making me happy......

[Thornie]

They need to get back to controlled burns before the fire seasons start to avoid this crap altogether. I know near the end of winter here, the weeds are 8foot high and already dead as soon as spring hits the fires start.

[mik]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

i blame climate change

i don't think so mate, it is probably not helping though.
For me a bigger problem is the greater population out in the sticks, and it is only getting worse, and will only get worse, more people want to get away from the rat race suburbia(me too), and by natural increase in population ...........and more stuff to burn, not to mention the chance that more likely someone will light a fire, be it by naughty kid , or by a spark from a lawn mower blade hitting a rock or an angle grinder spark, a tractor slashing or even a hot car exhaust, the mere fact there is more population means more avenues for fire to start and more danger.

I might add looking at images of houses in some of the fire zones on the many film clips , plenty had trees dotted all around the house/property, if experience of black saturday taught us any thing(well me anyway), once you add high winds to a possible fire scenario, you need to be a decent distance away from trees to escape the heat apart from any other dangers,............(council regs and clearing? ) mathematics = 60 foot gum tree on fire with strong winds, how far is safe distance ?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by mik

mathematics = 60 foot gum tree on fire with strong winds, how far is safe distance ?

The rating is essentially a simple mathematical equation.

First they give your area an index, I think the 3 they use are 60, 80 and 100.

They then input that into a formula that involves distance from threat, slope of land and type of vegetation the threat is.

And presto, the answer is a number you then have to look up in a table to see if your danger is Nil (or next to nil), low, moderate, medium, high and ground zero of an A bomb.

The 6 ratings are called your BAL (Bushfire Attack Level)....

The great thing is, you can self assess. The rubbish thing is, any property that is self assessed is automatically slapped with "A Bomb" from the bush fire people.. (with no site inspection) if you want to have your lower rating recognised you need to get in experts to do the assessment...

Confused yet????

[mik]

Yes......

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by mik

i don't think so mate, it is probably not helping though.
For me a bigger problem is the greater population out in the sticks, and it is only getting worse, and will only get worse, more people want to get away from the rat race suburbia(me too), and by natural increase in population ...........and more stuff to burn, not to mention the chance that more likely someone will light a fire, be it by naughty kid , or by a spark from a lawn mower blade hitting a rock or an angle grinder spark, a tractor slashing or even a hot car exhaust, the mere fact there is more population means more avenues for fire to start and more danger.

I might add looking at images of houses in some of the fire zones on the many film clips , plenty had trees dotted all around the house/property, if experience of black saturday taught us any thing(well me anyway), once you add high winds to a possible fire scenario, you need to be a decent distance away from trees to escape the heat apart from any other dangers,............(council regs and clearing? ) mathematics = 60 foot gum tree on fire with strong winds, how far is safe distance ?

Me thinks Beige was having a joke, seeing Al Gore reckons the bushfires not being linked to climate change is akin to smoking wont kill you and is healthy.

[mik]

Ahhh.... im a bit slow on the uptake :(.......
. Hey im old.

[EgoFG]

I think it is just some, but councils with standard residential zoning (A ?) push that rating to every property on the same block.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

I think it is just some, but councils with standard residential zoning (A ?) push that rating to every property on the same block.

Bushfire zoning is on top of whatever regular zoning in place, similar to flood zoning.

It will generally only apply to any residential block that is right next to any sort of large bushland / reserve area.

Eg, my parents are out in the Southern highlands, their place is Bushfire zoned but because they were so far away from the threat they had a next to nil rating.

My place is the last property of a 3 block sub division. Me being closest to the bush. Property on the street and the middle block are also bushfire zoned, but their rating is much lower than mine due to distance from threat.

On the other hand, my old house backed onto a bush reserve. That was not firezoned as the reserve was not large enough and was eventually land locked by surrounding blocks etc.

So, it really depends on where you are located. There are quite a few inner city properties that are 'fire zoned' only because they are across the road from a national park... My friend being one of them in Lane Cove.

My main gripe with the regulations is that they go to the extreme with any new development, yet an existing development does not have to be modified. That is all good and well, but why not introduce legislation to get gutter guards installed, or inspections to trim overhanging trees.

If it was about saving lives the places that don't conform to current standards could at least be cheaply updated.. hell we got grants for insulation we didn't need and for solar panels that don't save lives but if you are living in a house that is essentially right in a tree canopy there is nothing to tell you how unsafe it is.

I would really like to see what happens with the re-built houses in the mountains. If they are as close to the scrub as they seem they will have to be built to 'Flame Zone' specs such as:

* Stand alone sprinkler / fire fighting equipment circa 5,000L (concrete / steel tank)
* Steel framed doors / windows
* Steel shutters that have no perforations
* Steel gutter guard,
* Ember brushes of garage doors,
* NO exposed flammable materials - even the 'flame proof' stuff.
* Heat proof glass,
* Steel covered vents and,
* Depending on location, room for fire trucks to access, turn and flee the area which also allows for cars while the truck is there.

I use the word steel because I think for the top rating aluminium isn't allowed due to its melting point...

And you don't want to know what that does to the cost of building...

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Bushfire zoning is on top of whatever regular zoning in place, similar to flood zoning.

It will generally only apply to any residential block that is right next to any sort of large bushland / reserve area.

Eg, my parents are out in the Southern highlands, their place is Bushfire zoned but because they were so far away from the threat they had a next to nil rating.

My place is the last property of a 3 block sub division. Me being closest to the bush. Property on the street and the middle block are also bushfire zoned, but their rating is much lower than mine due to distance from threat.

On the other hand, my old house backed onto a bush reserve. That was not firezoned as the reserve was not large enough and was eventually land locked by surrounding blocks etc.

So, it really depends on where you are located. There are quite a few inner city properties that are 'fire zoned' only because they are across the road from a national park... My friend being one of them in Lane Cove.

My main gripe with the regulations is that they go to the extreme with any new development, yet an existing development does not have to be modified. That is all good and well, but why not introduce legislation to get gutter guards installed, or inspections to trim overhanging trees.

If it was about saving lives the places that don't conform to current standards could at least be cheaply updated.. hell we got grants for insulation we didn't need and for solar panels that don't save lives but if you are living in a house that is essentially right in a tree canopy there is nothing to tell you how unsafe it is.

I would really like to see what happens with the re-built houses in the mountains. If they are as close to the scrub as they seem they will have to be built to 'Flame Zone' specs such as:

* Stand alone sprinkler / fire fighting equipment circa 5,000L (concrete / steel tank)
* Steel framed doors / windows
* Steel shutters that have no perforations
* Steel gutter guard,
* Ember brushes of garage doors,
* NO exposed flammable materials - even the 'flame proof' stuff.
* Heat proof glass,
* Steel covered vents and,
[B]* Depending on location, room for fire trucks to access, turn and flee the area which also allows for cars while the truck is there.
I use the word steel because I think for the top rating aluminium isn't allowed due to its melting point...

And you don't want to know what that does to the cost of building...

You wouldnt beleive how often this is over looked, and or if it was there when the house was built, it later gets filled with boats and caravans

I live on acers, and it has double gate enterys so the person who did the fencing clearly had some idea, however the next lot of fencing put in by the next owner had it set so there was a gate in to the back paddock (there area that is exposed to risk, that you had to do a 2 attack turn in my Triton farm ute so there is no way a cat 1 bush fire tanker could get there.

I since moved the gate 90* so you can drive one straight in the top main gate then drive off the end of the drive way for 30m and straight in to the paddock gate, like wise I have added a 2nd gate that is in line with the 2nd entry for the same thing this way if it turns to custard it doesnt matter wich gate the fire brigade use they can get straight in to the back, Ive also had a chat with the people next door and we have put a gate between our two propertys so if need be tankers can enter through the nuighbors or go in to their from my property

[Nikked]

How does fire zoning effect insurance claims?

[The Yeti]

It sholdnt effect claims but will effect the cost of the premium or the ability to get the policy

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

It sholdnt effect claims but will effect the cost of the premium or the ability to get the policy

Cool...



I just remember the crap that they pulled up in Queensland with the floods...