What parts of your house are vulnerable?

It is important to understand which parts of your house are vulnerable to bushfire

Some parts of the house are more vulnerable to bushfire than others. Understanding and recognising the most common and often overlooked vulnerabilities will help you to prepare your home for bushfire.

Vulnerability

Your homes vulnerability refers to the extent to which it is likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impacts of a bushfire. In other words, how vulnerable it is to the hazards present during a bushfire. Your level of vulnerability is determined by the type and number of weak points that all other things being equal, make your home more likely to be damaged. The greater your level of vulnerability, the greater the risk.

What parts of the house are vulnerable to bushfire?

  • Any gaps where embers can enter and ignite combustible elements (inside the house, roof cavities, wall cavities, under the house).
  • Any corner where embers and debris can accumulate and ignite (including around doors, decks, and window sills).
  • Any vertical surface that is exposed to heat, flames or intense ember attack (including windows and combustible walls, eaves, doors, posts and poles).
  • Any combustible horizontal surface where ember can accumulate (including decks, roofs and pergolas).

Drawing showing several common points of vulnerability, including overhanging trees, exposed materials and underfloor spaces, gaps in the building's envelope, and places where embers and other debris can acumulate, such as rooftops and re-entrant corners

Weak points in your buildings siting, design, construction, use of materials, and maintenance will increase its vulnerability to bushfire