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Learn how bushfires work and how to get prepared, including where to find alerts, ways to get your home ready and checking your insurance.
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A bushfire is an unplanned fire that burns through vegetation.1 Bushfires are a natural and essential part of our Australian landscape, with the capacity to both promote and negatively affect biodiversity and the continuation of different species.2
While bushfires can happen at any time, the risk for fire danger can increase during some months and can differ across the country.3 We refer to these times as 'peak fire danger seasons'.
Bushfires can ignite due to weather or human factors. Extreme temperatures, strong winds and lightning are common natural causes, while human causes may be deliberate or accidental (such as burning off at the wrong time, or having an errant spark fly from machinery or a BBQ).
3 factors drive the intensity, speed and duration of bushfires. These include:
Fuel: this is the vegetation that ignites. Different vegetation (including the type and shape of vegetation) can influence how a bushfire spreads.4 Trees, grass, shrubs, scrub and twigs are all examples of 'fuel'.
Weather: high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity are key factors contributing to increased fire risk. A change in wind direction is one of the most dangerous influences on fire behaviour.
Terrain: the environment plays a key role in determining a bushfire's speed. For example, fires burn faster travelling uphill. For every 10˚ slope, the fire will double its speed.5 Conversely, fires tend to move slower on descending slopes.
The Australian Warning Systems (AWS) is our national warning system that's used to help you stay safe and in the know during a weather event. They can appear on local agency websites and incident maps. For fires, you'll see a flame symbol in either yellow, orange or red to depict the relevant warning level.
Image source: https://www.australianwarningsystem.com.au/
Advice: the yellow triangle means a fire incident has started, but there's no immediate danger.
Watch and act: the orange triangle means there's a heightened threat level for fire. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action to stay safe.
Emergency warning: the red triangle is the highest level of warning, altering you to imminent danger and imploring you to take immediate action.
Below, we've supplied a list of incident and warning maps specific to each state and territory. You might consider bookmarking the relevant link to your phone, desktop or tablet for future reference. It's also worth investigating what local apps, radio stations and community boards might be relevant to your area to download, tune or follow for updates.
There are many things you can do to help prepare your home for fire season, especially if you live in a rural or regional location.
Managing and reducing fuel loads around your home may help increase its survival from a bushfire. Therefore, some homes in rural and regional locations may not require a permit to clear trees, branches and scrub from around a home to help reduce bushfire risk.
Below, we've provided some state-based resources to help you start to work out what might be allowed in your location. If in doubt, contact your local council.
NSW Rural Fire Service | 10/50 vegetation clearing
QLD Government | Clearing for bushfire management
SA Government | Fire prevention around dwellings and fence lines
WA Government | Clearing for fire protection (building protection zones)
CFA Victoria | Clearing trees and vegetation
In addition to clearing trees and vegetation, homes — especially ones in rural and regional locations — may also benefit from some extra maintenance and checks:
Gaps and cracks can appear in homes due to age, heat and building material. Gaps and cracks should be sealed when you find them, as they can provide entry points for embers and surface fire.6
During a bushfire, water is in extreme demand. This may lead to reduced supply and interruptions. Here are some things to consider depending on your property:
Mow the lawn, trim overhanging trees and shrubs, clean debris from your gutters and remove flammable materials away from your home (like floor mats, outdoor furniture, rubbish bins and wood piles). You may also turn off gas cylinders if you’re preparing for an approaching bushfire.
If you already have an emergency kit, check to make sure everything in there is still in-date and required. If not, prepare a kit that includes essential items, such as:
Many home insurance policies offer cover for fire damage and other extreme weather, but it's important to check your specific policy to ensure you know exactly what you're covered for. Review any building, contents and landlord insurance policies you have and any exclusions or limits that might apply. If you're unsure of anything, contact your insurer.
Underinsurance is when your insurance won't cover as much as you might expect. This can make a stressful time even harder. If you're underinsured, this might mean:
To help avoid underinsurance, check your insurance sum insured on your insurance policy. This typically refers to the amount it would cost to repair, rebuild or replace your home or contents in the event they're damaged or destroyed by an extreme weather event (that's covered by your policy); check the cover you have matches what it would cost to rebuild your home and replace your insured belongings. As materials and labour costs can change over time, consider reviewing your cover at least once a year.
1CSIRO. (n.d). How bushfires behave. Bushfire Basics. https://research.csiro.au/bushfire/bushfire-basics/how-bushfires-behave/
2Miller, B. P., & MurPhy, B. P. (2017). Fire and Australian vegetation. Australian vegetation, 113-134.
3The Bureau of Meteorology. (n.d). Fire Weather seasons. https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/learn-and-explore/fire-weather-knowledge-centre/fire-weather-seasons
4CSIRO. (n.d). Vegetation. Bushfire Basics. https://research.csiro.au/bushfire/bushfire-basics/how-bushfires-behave/
5CFA Victoria. (21 December 2023). How Fire Behaves. https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/bushfire-basics/how-fire-behaves
6CSIRO. (n.d). Walls. Bushfire best practice Guide. https://research.csiro.au/bushfire/retrofits/walls/
7South East Water. (n.d). Bushfires and your water supply. https://southeastwater.com.au/water-waste-and-environment/environment/bushfires-and-your-water-supply/
8CSIRO. (n.d). Water, electricity and gas. Bushfire best practice Guide. https://research.csiro.au/bushfire/new-builds/water-electricity-gas/
Information is current as at the date of publication and may be subject to change. All content on the NRMA Insurance Blog is intended to be general in nature and does not constitute and is not intended to be professional advice. It does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. References to third-party organisations, products, services or brands on the NRMA Insurance Blog are for informational purposes only and do not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by NRMA Insurance, unless expressly stated otherwise.
