tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/house-fire-safety-5161/articleshouse fire safety – The Conversation2023-11-15T12:17:52Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2146582023-11-15T12:17:52Z2023-11-15T12:17:52ZFlame retardant chemicals can cause serious health risks – and they only slow fire by a few seconds<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558056/original/file-20231107-23-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C30%2C6639%2C4436&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many flame retardant additives have been banned. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chemicals-production-factory-experienced-workers-fully-2287552083">Aleksandar Malivuk/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>House fires are many people’s worst nightmare. But chemicals created decades ago to protect people’s homes from out of control flames opened our front doors to a new menace: toxic chemicals. Ones that we are consistently exposed to in our homes, offices and vehicles.</p>
<p>Plastics are everywhere and are highly flammable materials. To combat this, in around the <a href="https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/41961">mid to late 20th century</a>, a class of chemicals known as flame retardants (FRs) were developed to reduce the fire risks of plastic materials.</p>
<p>These were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19269-2">widely used in plastic items with electrical componants</a> including domestic appliances like cookers and kettles, electronics like TVs and computers, and especially electric heaters. </p>
<p>Their use was later extended to other items such as household furniture, vehicles, building insulation and even some children’s products, such as changing mats and cot mattresses. These FRs work by starving a fire of oxygen for a short time, allowing us time to fight a fire <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19269-2">before it gets out of control</a>. </p>
<p>But, like for other chemicals such as pesticides <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/dangerous.htm">and asbestos</a>, research caught up with the most widely used FRs in the early 2000s and found that the benefits of these chemicals may be outweighed by the dangers. These FRs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150747">leach out during everyday activities</a>, particularly from soft and flexible items like beds, couches and blankets. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.068">Simply using these items</a> is enough to make FRs leach into indoor air and dust where we can inhale or ingest them, or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.05.027">even absorb them through our skin</a>. Research has shown these chemicals have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479722021740">hazardous properties</a> when enough is absorbed into our bodies. For example, they have been shown to be carcinogenic and can lead to infertility.</p>
<h2>Legacy flame retardants</h2>
<p>Some of these FRs were <a href="http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1021/oj">banned for use in these kinds of products</a>. But there is a danger from both legacy FRs still in circulation as well as so-called “emerging FRs” that replaced the banned chemicals. </p>
<p>New FRs, with slightly different properties to banned ones, are being introduced all the time. This is because, in many cases, regulations in the UK and Ireland require furniture products to meet fire-retardancy standards. The cheapest way is by using additive FRs. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.epa.ie/publications/research/waste/research-434-persistent-organic-chemicals-in-the-irish-waste-stream.php">recent research project</a>, conducted by the University of Birmingham and the University of Galway, highlighted how these chemicals are still widely present in consumer goods. The research found restricted FRs in roughly half of the household furniture items we analysed. They were also prominently found in household electronics and building insulation foams. </p>
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<img alt="Man staining wood with white spray gun." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558059/original/file-20231107-253657-z3ridc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Additive FRs are often the cheapest way of meeting fire safety standards.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/staining-wood-white-spray-gun-application-1316976761">il21/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>When these items are recycled, we would hope that these banned harmful chemicals are removed from circulation. However, these chemicals are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.132">very difficult to remove from waste</a>. Approximately 10% of hazardous waste containing restricted FRs goes into the recycling stream. </p>
<p>Research shows that products <a href="https://www.epa.ie/publications/research/waste/research-272.php#">made from recycled materials</a> contain banned FRs at relatively low concentrations. Banned FRs have been found in electronics, furniture and polystyrene packaging foams, but also, <a href="https://www.epa.ie/publications/research/waste/research-434-persistent-organic-chemicals-in-the-irish-waste-stream.php">more worryingly</a>, children’s toys, kitchen utensils and food packaging. </p>
<p>The low concentrations of banned FRs in these products are consistent with leftovers from recycled waste rather than deliberate treatment. </p>
<p>Additionally, almost all the mattresses, furniture and vehicle foams we investigated for our research project contained emerging FRs, which research shows have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160250">similar hazards to their banned predecessors</a>. </p>
<p>Unlike the UK and Ireland, most of Europe does not have such stringent furniture fire safety standards. However, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/fire-death-rates">we do not see significantly fewer</a> fires or fire-related fatalities in the UK and Ireland. </p>
<p>Irish government <a href="https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/4c5e7-fire-fatality-statistics/">data suggests that other factors</a> such as the indoor smoking ban, requirements for smoke alarms in all rooms, reduced numbers of open fires in homes, and increased fire safety awareness have contributed more to the decrease in fire fatalities in Ireland over the last 20 years than FRs. </p>
<p>The recently published European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) <a href="https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/2082415/flame_retardants_strategy_en.pdf/">strategy on FRs</a> outlines the EU’s road map for removing hazardous FRs from circulation. It specifically cites the UK’s and Ireland’s stringent furniture foam fire safety standards as one of the reasons FRs are so prevalent in the EU market. </p>
<p>No one likes the idea of fires in their homes. But the amount of time a fire is slowed by these FRs is in the order of seconds. </p>
<p>In Ireland, <a href="https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/4c5e7-fire-fatality-statistics/">the majority of fatalities</a> from fires happen overnight, meaning people aren’t awake to take advantage of the few extra seconds before fire takes hold. The smoke produced by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653518320496?via%3Dihub">burning FR-treated items</a> is also more toxic compared to non-FR- treated materials, leading to increased risk of asphyxiation, the leading cause of death from fires.</p>
<h2>Know the risks</h2>
<p>Few people are aware that these chemical additives are in so many items and fewer still know the hazards they pose. At the moment, it is difficult to know which FRs are used where and at what concentrations. </p>
<p>There should, at the very least, be a more robust labelling system which outlines exactly what chemicals are in these items so that consumers can make informed decisions. Not all products contain FRs but it’s hard for consumers to tell because manufacturers only have to state whether safety standards have been met, now how they have been met. </p>
<p>We need to ask ourselves: are these additive chemicals worth it? New FRs can be developed faster than research can determine their toxicity, making it difficult to tell how safe they really are. </p>
<p>It is vital we have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023000557">long overdue discussion</a> on fire safety regulations. The negatives of FRs seem to substantially outweigh the benefits. So perhaps the path forward is removing the need for these additives and finally revising fire standards to reflect modern research.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214658/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martin Sharkey is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Galway and received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland. The research project referenced below was funded under the EPA Research Programme 2014-2020 (2018-RE-LS-3).</span></em></p>Flame retardants were developed to prevent house fires and help save lives. But they come with some serious health risks.Martin Sharkey, Senior Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of GalwayLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1699942021-10-28T17:53:42Z2021-10-28T17:53:42Z10 fire safety tips to help keep you and your kids alive and safe<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428822/original/file-20211027-15-86erf3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C4985%2C3330&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The majority of fire-related deaths that occurred in 2020 took place in people's homes. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/flames-vent-as-firefighters-work-to-put-out-the-flames-news-photo/1235064357?adppopup=true">Ty O'Neil/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Too many people are losing their lives in fires.</p>
<p>Although the number of people killed in fires in the United States has been <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/%7E/media/fd0144a044c84fc5baf90c05c04890b7.ashx">going down since the 1980s</a>, the number is still high. In the year 2020, for example, <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/%7E/media/fd0144a044c84fc5baf90c05c04890b7.ashx">3,500 people were killed in fires</a> in the U.S. The vast majority of those deaths – 2,580, to be exact, or about three out of every four – took place at home. Another 11,500 people suffered fire-related injuries at home. </p>
<p>I know all of this too well. Before I became <a href="https://experts.wvu.edu/experts/mark-lambert">director of the West Virginia University Fire Service Extension</a>, I spent 23 years as a fire and explosion investigator for the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office. In that position, I investigated approximately 1,000 cases in which people were killed or injured in home fires. As any fire investigator will tell you, I know that a lot of fire deaths and injuries can be avoided by following a few simple steps. </p>
<h2>1. Get some smoke detectors</h2>
<p>Smoke detectors <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Detection-and-Signaling/Smoke-Alarms-in-US-Home-Fires">reduce your chances of dying in a fire</a> by 50%.</p>
<p>They can be purchased at department stores, hardware stores or online for as little as US$10. The more expensive models, which may cost closer to $100, have extra features, such as flashing lights or audio files where a parent can add a voice message telling their child to “Wake up, the fire alarm is going off!” Some can also detect carbon monoxide.</p>
<p>If you or your family cannot afford a smoke detector, you might be able to get one from your local fire department or your local American Red Cross for free. Most departments will also teach you how to install one.</p>
<h2>2. Put a smoke detector on every level of your home</h2>
<p>You should have at least one smoke detector on every level of your home. Ideally, there should be one in every bedroom, another one just outside of every bedroom, one in the laundry and furnace area and one in the attic.</p>
<p>Change the batteries twice a year. Do this even if you don’t hear the detector “chirp” to let you know the batteries are low. Replace the smoke detectors every 10 years. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A Black man installs a smoke detector." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428901/original/file-20211027-15-glicll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People with smoke detectors in their homes are more likely to survive a fire.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/electrician-installing-fire-sensor-royalty-free-image/853750136?adppopup=true">AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
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<p>Firefighters have been <a href="https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-264.pdf">stressing the importance of smoke detectors since 1973</a>. Even so, 41% of all U.S. <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Detection-and-Signaling/Smoke-Alarms-in-US-Home-Fires">home fire deaths</a> took place on properties where there was no smoke detector, and 16% took place on properties where the smoke detector didn’t work. </p>
<p>In several cases, I have investigated fatal fires only to find the detector on the kitchen counter with no batteries in it. </p>
<h2>3. Close bedroom doors</h2>
<p>Research indicates that you are <a href="https://www.iafc.org/iCHIEFS/iCHIEFS-article/ul-fsri-survey-more-americans-close-doors-for-fire-safety-but-there-is-still-work-to-do">more likely to survive a fire</a> if your bedroom door is closed.</p>
<p>That’s the reason why firefighters say you should install a detector outside of every bedroom, not just inside. If a fire breaks out outside your bedroom, you want to be awakened by a smoke detector, not actual smoke. Keeping your door closed gives you <a href="https://fsri.org/programs/close-you-doze">extra time in a smoke-free environment</a> to escape a house fire. </p>
<h2>4. Set up an exit plan</h2>
<p>All members of the house should decide on an exit plan for each of their bedrooms. If you can get up and get out the normal way, through a front or back door, then take that route. Remember: If the door handle is hot, do not open the door. If flames or smoke block your path, you need to exit through your window.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of children place their hands on a fireman's hat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428904/original/file-20211027-15573-14htvbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Escape plans help children understand how to get out of their house in case of an emergency.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/first-graders-tap-the-helmet-of-firefighter-molly-cropp-news-photo/1094416368?adppopup=true">Lewis Geyer/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Everyone should practice the plan and be familiar with it. Write the plan down and practice it when you change smoke detector batteries.</p>
<p>Your family should have a meeting spot outside – such as across the street, a tree or mailbox – where everyone should go once they escape.</p>
<h2>5. Purchase a fire ladder</h2>
<p>If you live on the second floor of a building or higher, you may need to purchase a fire ladder to safely escape through your window. These ladders can be rope or chain ladders with steps made of plastic or metal. You can purchase these at most home repair stores and online. They are already put together and ready to use.</p>
<p>Look for an Underwriters Laboratories (which is a global safety certification company) <a href="https://www.ul.com/">listed brand</a> to purchase. Read the instructions that come with the ladder and be familiar with how to use it.</p>
<h2>6. Exit first, then call 911</h2>
<p>The time to call 911 is after you have exited your house. Once you are out of your house, you call tell the 911 dispatcher the exact location and any other information they may ask you for. The dispatcher may also want you to stay on the line until the fire department arrives – something you can’t do if you’re in a burning home.</p>
<h2>7. Never re-enter a burning home</h2>
<p>If your house is on fire, never reenter it for any reason until the firefighters say it is safe to do so.</p>
<p>I once investigated a case where a mother went back into the burning house to find her other children, and her toddler followed her. While the mom made it back out, the toddler did not. Your life is important. Let the firefighters handle the rescues.</p>
<h2>8. Never leave a burning candle in a room by itself</h2>
<p>If you light a candle and forget about it, it may cause a fire. This happens more often than most realize. In 2018, there were <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/US-Fire-Problem/Fire-causes/osCandles.pdf">7,500 candle fires</a> in the U.S. In 16% of the candle fires, the candles were <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/US-Fire-Problem/Fire-causes/osCandles.pdf">unattended or abandoned</a>. </p>
<p>Be especially careful with candles during the holidays, which are <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Winter-holidays/Holiday-fires-by-the-numbers">the peak time</a> for candle fires. This is because candles are often too close to holiday decorations, which can easily catch fire.</p>
<h2>9. Don’t sleep with space heaters</h2>
<p>One of the <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/US-Fire-Problem/Fire-causes/osHeating.pdf">leading causes of fire death</a> is home heating. “A vast majority of home heating fire deaths (81%) involved stationary or portable space heaters,” a 2021 <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/US-Fire-Problem/Fire-causes/osHeating.pdf">home heating fire report</a> states. “Over half (54%) of the home heating fire deaths were caused by having heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding.” </p>
<p>While technology in space heaters has improved over the past 20 years, never leave a radiant space heater unattended and never fall asleep with one on. I once had to tell a 9-year-old boy, two days after Christmas, that he lost his mother, father and sister in a fire that started because of a radiant space heater. One of the children’s blankets came in contact with the heater and started the fire. When possible, you should rely on the normal heating system for the home. Use space heaters with caution. </p>
<h2>10. Get a fire extinguisher</h2>
<p>The ideal extinguisher for the home is the <a href="https://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/support/help-center/browse-articles/articles/abc_fire_extinguishers.html">multipurpose type</a> that can put out fires of all different types, like electrical and liquid. These extinguishers are small enough that they can be easily handled and can extinguish or stall the fire until firefighters arrive. Familiarize yourself with how it operates prior to needing it for an emergency. </p>
<p>[<em>Over 115,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=100Ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Experts disagree on whether young children should be trained on how to operate a fire extinguisher. The National Fire Protection Association, for example, says children should just <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Fire-extinguishers">focus on getting out of the home</a> because they may not be able to handle a fire extinguisher or know how to react if the fire still spreads. A Detroit power company, however, says children from age 6 to 13 can be trained to operate a fire extinguisher as long as they can <a href="https://empoweringmichigan.com/age-age-guide-talking-teaching-fire-safety-kids/">lift it and hold it</a>.</p>
<p>Just like smoke detectors, you also should check your fire extinguishers twice a year to see that they are pressurized and functional.</p>
<p>If practiced as a family, following these simple steps could make the difference between whether you escape a house fire or become the next statistic.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169994/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark R. Lambert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Last year, 3,500 Americans were killed by house fires. A former fire and explosion investigator has 10 tips to keep you and your children safe this holiday season.Mark R. Lambert, Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of West Virginia University-Fire Service Extension, West Virginia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1507512021-01-06T19:05:45Z2021-01-06T19:05:45ZSolar panel fire season is all year round and it’s getting more intense in Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377143/original/file-20210105-23-1u0olrg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C1732%2C1054&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">FRNSW</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>2020 was a bumper year for solar power in Australia. <a href="https://www.sunwiz.com.au/end-of-year-forecast-for-the-australian-pv-solar-market-2020/">More solar PV systems were installed</a> in the first nine months than in all of any previous year. </p>
<p>Almost <a href="https://www.energycouncil.com.au/media/18275/australian-energy-council-solar-report_q1-2020_final%20.pdf">one in four</a> Australian houses now have rooftop solar panels. But the number of solar panel incidents reported by fire and emergency services has increased too. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/">Fire and Rescue NSW</a> reportedly <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/solar-panel-related-fires-increasing-in-nsw/81f9bf6e-db28-4eb5-ab83-446801e0137a">put out 30 blazes</a> sparked by panels in just three months late last year.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1346244713305796608"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-building-codes-dont-expect-houses-to-be-fire-proof-and-thats-by-design-129540">Australian building codes don't expect houses to be fire-proof – and that's by design</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The exponential growth in solar PV and associated problems has attracted <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/the-highs-and-lows-of-our-love-affair-with-solar/11762482">media</a> and political attention. </p>
<p>In 2018, federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor <a href="https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/taylor-solar-safety-mb0873/">warned</a> his state counterparts lives were at risk from substandard solar panel installations. An <a href="https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/administration-renewable-energy-target">audit</a> of the <a href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/">Clean Energy Regulator</a> by the Australian National Audit Office found there were potentially tens of thousands of badly installed and even unsafe rooftop systems. The regulator had inspected just 1.2% of rooftop installations. </p>
<h2>It’s a nationwide problem</h2>
<p>State and territory regulators are responsible for electrical safety. Only Victoria mandates an inspection of each installed system. </p>
<p>Taylor <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-24/rooftop-solar-faces-inquiry-over-reports-of-dodgy-practices/12589886">announced an inquiry</a> into the industry last August. </p>
<p>Last October, Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Graham Kingland <a href="https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/incident.php?record=927#:%7E:text=%22Over%20the%20last%20five%20years,you%20can%20prevent%20a%20tragedy%E2%80%9D.">said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Over the last five years we have seen solar panel related fires increase five-fold. It is not uncommon to see solar panels cause house and building fires.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On Christmas day, <a href="https://esa.act.gov.au/fire-rescue">ACT Fire & Rescue</a> attended a fire at a home in Theodore where the solar panels caught alight. Coincidentally, the location was Christmas Street!</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1342314991119028225"}"></div></p>
<p>Last month, Energy Safe Victoria <a href="https://esv.vic.gov.au/news/solar-safety-with-servicing/">warned</a> the public to get solar systems serviced.</p>
<p>And <a href="https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx">Queensland Fire and Emergency Services</a> attended at least <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/solar-panel-fires-rise-amid-warnings-over-battery-use/news-story/7dbb44c7c0703028d14aa27cd7435246">16 incidents caused by solar panels</a> in the first half of 2017 and 33 in 2016.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lYghXxxXRg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">9 News reports on the fire risks of poorly installed solar panel systems in Queensland.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Components such as DC isolators and inverters, rather than the actual panels, are the cause of most solar-related fires. A DC isolator is a manually operated switch next to a solar panel array that shuts off DC current between the array and the inverter. It was intended as an extra safety mechanism, but the switches have caused more problems than they have solved – particularly when not installed correctly or when poor-quality components are used. </p>
<h2>Solar is cheaper in Australia but poorly regulated</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/11/20/australian-rooftop-pv-safety-standards-under-fire-in-new-report/">A recent report</a> rated Australia as one of the cheapest per kilowatt for solar PV, but it questioned our safety standards. Most solar systems sold in Australia use DC voltages that can pose a serious fire risk. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, Australia has been slow to adopt safer solar regulations. In contrast, the United States has had <a href="https://safersolar.com.au/#:%7E:text=Some%20solar%20systems%20are%20safer%20than%20others&text=For%20example%2C%20in%20the%20United,since%20as%20early%20as%202014.">safety standards</a> preventing the installation of conventional DC solar systems since as early as 2014. </p>
<p>It’s more difficult for lower-voltage, microinverter-based systems (requiring no DC isolator switch) to catch fire, but it’s not impossible.</p>
<p>An amendment to the DC isolator standard (<a href="https://www.standards.org.au/standards-catalogue/sa-snz/electrotechnology/el-042/as-slash-nzs--5033-colon-2014--amd--2-colon-2018">AS/NZS 5033:2014</a>) to improve product datasheets and ensure isolators can withstand the harsh Australian climate took effect on June 28 2019. By then, over 2 million systems had been installed on Australian rooftops.</p>
<p>Added to issues such as flammable cladding, dodgy electrical cable and other “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/sales-delivery/buying-parallel-imports">grey imports</a>” (products not sourced from approved manufacturers) in the building industry, we are now playing a game of catch-up. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fires-expose-gaps-in-building-material-safety-checks-heres-a-solution-111073">Cladding fires expose gaps in building material safety checks. Here's a solution</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Poor-quality solar rooftop components have led to an <a href="https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recalls/browse-all-recalls?search=dc+isolators&f%5B0%5D=field_accc_psa_product_category%3A4798&sort_by=accc_solr_date&items_per_page=25">expanding list of product recalls</a>. The latest Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recall list includes installations managed by industry giants such as Origin and AGL. </p>
<p>One <a href="https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recall/blue-line-solar-pty-ltd-avanco-dc-solar-isolator-switches">notable recall</a> in 2014 reported a risk of “arcing” and “eventual catastrophic failure, resulting in fire”. It listed no fewer than nine traders operating nationally as having used this failed product. The recall noted that the product supplier, Blueline Solar Pty Ltd, was insolvent. </p>
<p>What should consumers do? The ACCC said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Owners should immediately shut down the PV system following the standard shutdown procedure.</p>
<p>If a consumer suspects they have one of the affected units, they should have an electrician inspect and replace the DC isolators. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Solar systems do not fall under the National Construction Code unless an ancillary structure is being created. Most systems are simply fixed with rails to an existing roof. If the code covered rooftop solar, this would require private certification and a compliance check on any system, as is the case overseas. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">Australia has a new National Construction Code, but it's still not good enough</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Know what is on your roof</h2>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-04293-6_40">Research</a> has shown consumers’ knowledge of solar systems is poor. Many owners have little idea if their system is working properly, or even at all.</p>
<p>And how would a consumer know what kind of DC isolator is on their roof or how to shut down the system in the event of a fire? </p>
<p>Solar panel systems are a growing incident category for firefighters. Yet even among firefighters there is <a href="https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-attack/articles/solar-safety-for-firefighters-the-myths-and-the-facts-ioFp2MGuWg0KgCa5/">some confusion</a> on procedures to deal with a fire on live solar panels. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Firefighters put out a solar panel fire" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2710%2C1841&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377132/original/file-20210105-13-w1h4vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even some firefighters aren’t clear about how to deal with fires on live solar panels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/firefighters-solar-roof-panels-photovoltaic-on-454561861">riopatuca/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Solar panel fires have yet to make it onto a top 10 list of domestic fire causes (statistically, your Christmas tree lights are a greater risk). But the sheer volume of installations and ageing components in uninspected older systems are increasing the risks.</p>
<p>One Aussie inventor has developed a product <a href="http://www.pvstop.com.au/solar-panel-risks/">PVStop</a> — “a spray-on solution to mitigate solar panel risks by reducing DC output to safe levels to offer homeowners and emergency personnel peace of mind”. </p>
<p>The latest <a href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Scheme-participants-and-industry/Agents-and-installers/Small-scale-Renewable-Energy-Scheme-inspections">update</a> on Clean Energy Regulator inspections completed to June 30 2020 shows a negligible 0.05% decrease in substandard systems. Roughly one in 30 systems (3.1%) have been deemed unsafe and another 17.9% substandard. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing causes of unsafe and potentially unsafe solar PV installations" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377150/original/file-20210105-23-2dqxse.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/DocumentAssets/Documents/Analysis%20of%20SRES%20Inspection%20Data%20to%20Assess%20Photovoltaic%20System%20Residual%20Systemic%20Electrical%20Safety%20Risks.pdf">The Conversation. Data: Clean Energy Regulator SRES report</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Without adequate solar PV industry standards, tools, inspection regimes, procedures or training, dangerous scenarios may increasingly put lives at risk. The high uptake of solar is very good news for reducing household electricity bills and carbon emissions, but safety issues undermine these positives.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-every-building-count-in-meeting-australias-emission-targets-126930">Making every building count in meeting Australia's emission targets</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The surge in installations, the introduction of batteries, the ageing of panels and components together with more extreme weather events mean solar panel incidents are likely to continue increasing. </p>
<p>Australia prides itself on being a world leader in household solar but until now we have not fully appreciated the safety risks. Fire authorities would do well to update fire safety guides that omit specific information on solar. And system owners should ensure they understand the risks and shut-down procedures.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150751/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Timothy O'Leary has received past funding from the Australian Research Council and the State Government of South Australia for research in housing energy performance, energy disclosure and housing lifetime affordability. Dr O' Leary holds an unpaid position as a Program Advisory Group member of the Victorian Government, Residential Efficiency Scorecard and contributes in a non paid advisory role to the National Energy Efficient Buildings Project (NEPP), stakeholder reference group convened by the Australian Department of Environment and Energy.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Michael Whaley has previously received funding from various organisations including the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living and Government of South Australia.</span></em></p>Weak regulation and a lack of mandatory inspections have increased fire risks for the one in four homes with rooftop PV panels. Here’s what we need to do to be safer.Timothy O'Leary, Lecturer in Construction and Property, The University of MelbourneDavid Michael Whaley, Lecturer, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/888252017-12-13T11:25:11Z2017-12-13T11:25:11ZCalifornia needs to rethink urban fire risk, starting with where it builds houses<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198860/original/file-20171212-9389-1ujygzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">This fire season has been particularly damaging to urban areas.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Reed Saxon</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Wildfires raging across southern California are causing evacuations of many communities and have destroyed <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ventura-fire-20171206-story.html">hundreds of structures</a> this month. </p>
<p>These fires follow the wind-driven Tubbs fire earlier this fall that blasted through densely urbanized neighborhoods in Northern California, causing dozens of fatalities and thousands of home losses. Stories from both fires of how fast the fire spread and how little time people had to evacuate are stunning. </p>
<p>With widespread damage to structures, these fires highlight the importance of where and how we build our communities and, in particular, how land use planning and better building codes can reduce our exposure to such events.</p>
<p>Despite how unusual the devastation appear in portions of these fires, we need to recognize that these structure-to-structure “urban conflagrations” have happened in the past and will happen again. Yet these fires revealed that we have key gaps in our policy and planning related to assessing risk in fire-prone environments.</p>
<p>What is increasingly clear to fire researchers <a href="http://ucanr.edu/?facultyid=1595">like me</a> is that losses on the human side are often driven by where and how we build our communities. This means we must <a href="https://www.americanscientist.org/article/coexisting-with-wildfire">learn to coexist with fire</a>, if we are going to inhabit fire-prone landscapes, just as we adapt to other natural hazards. An essential step is to shift our perspective from a focus on hazard to one that more comprehensively includes human vulnerabilities.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191280/original/file-20171022-13955-d22mwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The devastation from the Tubbs fire earlier this year. An urban fire that gave many people little time to leave points to the need for better planning on evacuation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Mapping risk</h2>
<p>California is leading the way in mapping the danger that wildfires pose to human communities and, in particular, linking building codes to fire severities that may be expected in given location. The state’s <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/fire_prevention/fire_prevention_wildland">Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps</a> are an essential step in recognizing fire as an inevitable process that must be accommodated, similar to how we plan for floods, landslides, earthquakes and hurricanes.</p>
<p>What is missing from these maps, however, is extreme weather patterns. The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2009GL041735/full">Santa Ana winds</a> of Southern California are a notable example. Strong, hot and dry wind episodes are associated with nearly all of our largest and most destructive wildfires, including the <a href="http://napavalleyregister.com/calistogan/news/local/tubbs-fire-reminds-locals-of-hanley-fire-of/article_dce8464f-1557-5956-a508-04fffe8d7043.html">1964 Hanley fire in Northern California</a> that burned an almost identical footprint to the Tubbs fire, yet relatively little is currently known about how often they occur across a landscape. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191279/original/file-20171022-13963-rljy8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Updating maps on fire risk should inform urban development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cal Fire</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>New methods are becoming available for mapping and modeling winds, and future versions of the Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps will therefore include such weather conditions. Similar maps are also needed for fire-prone areas outside California.</p>
<p>Despite technical advances, a key problem with most mapped approaches to fire danger is that the focus is almost exclusively on characterizing the hazard – flame lengths, rates of spread or fire intensities of an oncoming wildfire – and much less on the vulnerabilities of what is actually exposed. The “<a href="http://silvis.forest.wisc.edu/maps/wui">wildland-urban interface</a>,” where developed lands are exposed to natural, flammable areas, is thus often mapped and assumed to be where the exposure ends.</p>
<p>Clearly this is not always the case. Analogous to when a levee fails, after a wildfire manages to ignite homes along the wildland-urban interface, many homes farther inside the neighborhood can quickly become exposed.</p>
<p>Depending on the building codes in place during their construction, these newly exposed structures may or may not be very fire-resistant. Their vulnerability to ignition can also be especially high if they are spaced closely together and the winds are strong, because that is when fire spread transitions to a structure-to-structure domino effect.</p>
<p>Better fire risk mapping means we should be able refine our notion and approach to assessing vulnerability.</p>
<h2>Reducing human exposure</h2>
<p>There are numerous reports of how difficult and deadly it was <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/09/santa-rosa-fire-how-a-sudden-firestorm-obliterated-a-city/">to evacuate during the Tubbs fire</a>. Apparently many people had almost no warning at all. This highlights the importance of both evacuation planning and evacuation communication systems, as getting out in time is what Americans tend to rely on in wildfire situations.</p>
<p>Although evacuation preparedness is nearly always mentioned in <a href="http://www.firewise.org/usa-recognition-program/cwpps.aspx">Community Wildfire Protection Plans</a> and <a href="http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Go-Evacuation-Guide/">standard guidance for home owners</a>, the overriding message is typically to “leave early” whenever possible.</p>
<p>While absolutely correct, this advice minimizes the importance of pre-fire evacuation planning and the short time there may be to get out. It takes quite a bit of thought and effort to anticipate being in such a crisis situation!</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198897/original/file-20171213-31699-1avj8xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fleeing fire in Ventura, California.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Noah Berger</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What should one take, and where might one actually go?</p>
<p>On short notice, how does one account for pets, children or the elderly?</p>
<p>Is there a place one should retreat to, if evacuation orders are received too late or not at all?</p>
<p>This last question may be the one that gets the least attention, and the many fatalities in the Tubbs fire suggest that it requires much deeper consideration. Firefighters are often given <a href="https://www.nifc.gov/wfstar/downloads/safety_essays/Alexander_VICFFR_keynote_address.pdf">specific training</a> about what to do with limited evacuation options. For homeowners, however, <a href="http://www.readyforwildfire.org/What-To-Do-If-Trapped/">guidance can be sparse</a>.</p>
<p>When it is too late and too dangerous to evacuate safely, fallback options must be considered and communicated ahead of time. In an urban conflagration situation, local details dictate whether “<a href="http://firesafemendocino.org/creating-a-safety-zone-for-use-in-a-wildfire-emergency/">safety zones</a>” actually exist as places to take refuge. Given the real potential for such disasters, many communities should consider identifying (or building) key “hardened” structures to act as local-scale refuges.</p>
<p>Reducing human exposure involves more attention to what people must do during a wildfire, or even the rare urban conflagration. Safe evacuation deserves as much emphasis as reduction of fuels, such as creating defensible space around homes or larger scale fuel breaks by thinning vegetation around communities. </p>
<h2>A safer built environment</h2>
<p>From the scale of individual home construction up to the location and arrangement of development on a landscape, our communities should be better able to survive the natural hazards that occur there. This requires both short- and long-term strategies for achieving a safer built environment.</p>
<p>As a starting point, we must acknowledge that we currently have tens of thousands – possibly even hundreds of thousands – of homes constructed according to building codes that leave these structures vulnerable to ignition. Amazingly, however, there are very few <a href="http://thinisin.org/index.php/structural-ignitability/replacing-wood-roofs">examples of grant programs</a> to mitigate such vulnerabilities through retrofit programs to, for instance, replace wood shake shingle roofs or to upgrade attic and crawlspace vents to block embers from entering homes.</p>
<p>In contrast, there are millions of dollars in public funds spent annually on community-scale fuel reduction projects. These are common activities pursued by <a href="http://www.cafiresafecouncil.org/">Fire Safe Councils</a> in California and similar organizations in other states.</p>
<p>The same level of support should be available for mitigation of fire-related structure vulnerabilities as there is for hazards.</p>
<p>Over the long term, land use planning is probably the most effective tool available for creating safer communities. We must be more deliberate about how we develop on fire-prone landscapes, taking advantage of emerging hazard-mapping techniques.</p>
<p>The goal here is not necessarily to build fewer homes, but to design and site developments that avoid the highest hazard regions and concentrate development in the lowest hazard areas. This logic applies, to varying degrees, to constraining development with respect to other natural hazards.</p>
<p>Despite an aversion by some to land use planning, this strategy is simply common sense. It will also save lives and massive amounts of public resources over the long term.</p>
<p>Where we do choose to develop and inhabit hazard-prone environments, it may be necessary to design communities with “<a href="https://www.buildinggreen.com/op-ed/passive-survivability">passive survivability</a>” in mind, or the ability to withstand the event and have water and power for a few days. This provides both the built environment and the people within some basic protection for a limited time. </p>
<p>Strategies exist to lower the risk of fire in the current housing stock and to more carefully design and site future development where wildfires are possible. With increasing <a href="https://theconversation.com/wildfires-in-west-have-gotten-bigger-more-frequent-and-longer-since-the-1980s-42993">extremes expected</a> as climate continues to change, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-hurricanes-harvey-and-irma-wont-lead-to-action-on-climate-change-83770">officially recognizing this link</a> and creating a safer built environment will only become more urgent.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of an <a href="https://theconversation.com/california-needs-to-rethink-urban-fire-risk-after-wine-country-tragedy-85966">article</a> originally published on October 23, 2017.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88825/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Max Moritz has received funding from Federal (e.g., NSF, USFS) and California State (e.g., CEC, CalFire) sources.</span></em></p>With wildfires continuing to rage across southern California, a fire researcher says lowering fire risk means reconsidering where and how we build our communities.Max Moritz, Cooperative Extension Specialist, Wildland Fire, University of California, Santa BarbaraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/486542015-10-06T19:28:57Z2015-10-06T19:28:57ZAll fired up: southern Australia is looking towards a dry spring and a hot summer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97351/original/image-20151006-29229-3hn55t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Fairman</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Southeastern Australia has had its first taste of summer, with some unseasonably warm weather <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-weather-victoria-set-for-spring-scorcher-after-hottest-ever-start-to-october-20151004-gk1570.html">breaking temperature records for early October</a>. It follows on from a September that was <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/aus/summary.shtml">hotter and drier than usual</a> for much of Australia.</p>
<p>One of the reasons for this <a href="https://theconversation.com/bom-were-calling-it-the-2015-el-nino-is-here-41598">may be the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)</a> - the weather phenomenon driven by periodically changing patterns of ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean. Southern Australia’s worst drought years have <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a008-el-nino-and-australia.shtml">occurred during the El Niño phase</a>. </p>
<p>Over the past few years a strong La Niña has resulted in California going through its second-worst drought <a href="http://cpo.noaa.gov/ClimatePrograms/ModelingAnalysisPredictionsandProjections/MAPPTaskForces/DroughtTaskForce/CaliforniaDrought.aspx">since records began</a> and much of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/24/washington-wildfires-okanogan-complex">North America has been subjected to wildfires</a>. </p>
<p>However, the system has now reversed and the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a> is predicting a warmer and drier summer for southern Australia. </p>
<p>Given this, many southern Australians will naturally turn their minds to the question of what the coming fire season will hold – particularly as <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoria-fires-cool-change-brings-unpredictable-bushfire-conditions-20151005-gk1xtr.html">Victoria’s bushfires have already claimed their first house</a>. </p>
<h2>Where there’s heat, there may be fire</h2>
<p>The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre recently released its <a href="http://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/010">seasonal bushfire outlook</a> for the summer of 2015-16. </p>
<p>This report was compiled in a workshop attended by a range of climatologists and fire and land managers, considering a range of climate factors such as the amount of rainfall in previous months and the long-term rainfall deficit. </p>
<p>They concluded that the pattern of long-term, below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures mean that soil moisture and fuels are prone to rapid drying with the approach of summer. </p>
<p>While the conditions indicate an above-average fire season for many of the southern states, the temperature and rainfall patterns of the coming months will be crucial. As a result, fires may be more likely and more severe.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97344/original/image-20151006-29243-mbfcez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC has produced this map indicating the regions in which bushfire potential is normal and above normal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dry conditions in forests mean that areas that are typically too wet to burn can become flammable. This means that stopping fires can become challenging as natural barriers (such as wet gullies) are ineffective. As a result, forest fires that occur in dry years have the potential to become very large – two recent fires in southeastern Australia (in 2003 and 2007) reached over 10,000 square kilometres in size. </p>
<h2>Not a matter of if, but where and when</h2>
<p>Forewarning of a bad season can allow land managers and fire agencies to prepare and make the fires that do happen more easy to manage. This includes investing in firefighting services, prescribed burning, educating the community and developing warning systems.</p>
<p>Fires have been occurring in Australia for many thousands of years. The nature of our weather patterns (hot, dry and windy during the summer) and our forests (containing species that have features that promote the spread of fire, such as stringy-barked eucalypts) means that fires will always be a feature of the landscape.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97388/original/image-20151006-29213-9v69rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The 2014 Snowy River Fire at night, as captured by NASA’s Earth Observatory, was roughly the same size as Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA Earth Observatory</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But when fires occur, they can <a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-true-costs-of-managing-fire-11711">affect things we value</a>. While there has been a great deal of attention to protecting life and property, fires can also <a href="http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/fire-and-emergencies/managing-risk-and-learning-about-managing-fire/managing-bushfire-risk/barwon-otway-bushfire-risk-landscape">impact on cultural values, health, water quality, agricultural productivity and biodiversity values</a>. </p>
<p>This is particularly relevant in Victoria, which has seen greater bushfire activity in the last 15 years. Of the 8.6 million hectares of land burned in wildfires in Victoria since the 1950s, half of this amount (4.3 million ha) burned between 2003 and 2014. <a href="http://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/publications-library/technical-report/">Climate change projections</a> indicate that the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.12115/abstract">frequency and intensity of fires are likely to increase</a> in many parts of Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=589&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=589&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97369/original/image-20151006-29248-j32a4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=589&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This graph shows the cumulative area of forest burned in Victoria between 1952 and 2014. As shown by the dashed line, half of the total area burned since 1952 occurred between 2003 and 2014.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Fairman</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When, as in this case, recent bushfires have affected a significant proportion of the landscape, the effects of future fires may become less certain and potentially exacerbated. For example, <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/WF15010.htm">frequent fires may impact certain vegetation types more than others</a>, potentially reducing their capability to regenerate. </p>
<p>An example of this is the high-altitude species alpine ash (<em>Eucalyptus delegatensis</em>). Ash forests are <a href="https://theconversation.com/ash-to-ashes-what-could-the-2013-fires-mean-for-the-future-of-our-forests-12346">particularly vulnerable to frequent wildfires</a>. If they are burned twice in a short period (less than 20 years), <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.12433/abstract">they may become locally extinct</a>. This can have serious implications for the capacity of these ecosystems to store carbon, create habitat and provide the multitude of other values they offer.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97389/original/image-20151006-29254-1yhfwky.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This alpine ash forest, in the high country of Victoria, was burned three times between 2003 and 2013, and as a result has not been able to regenerate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Fairman</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Time to get ready</h2>
<p>We don’t known when and where damaging fires will occur. For example, the Black Saturday fires of 2009 (Australia’s worst bushfire disaster) occurred under <a href="http://www.bushfirecrc.com/sites/default/files/managed/resource/bcrcfirenoteseasonaloutlook2008.pdf">neutral </a> El Niño conditions. Fires can occur at any time when conditions are hot and windy enough, there is sufficient dry vegetation (fuel) and an ignition source. </p>
<p>While the landscape managers and fire agencies can reduce risk, they cannot be expected to <a href="http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/235101/Victorian-Bushfire-Risk-Profiles_WEB2.pdf">eliminate it all</a>. It is up to us to ensure that we remain safe during the fire season, recognising the contribution of <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-deadly-bushfire-gamble-risk-your-life-or-bet-your-house-21968">our own decisions</a> to our safety. By preventing fires, we can also protect much more than ourselves.</p>
<p>Here are four things you can do to help yourself and others:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Familiarise yourself with the advice on your local fire agency website</p></li>
<li><p>When you are in fire-prone areas, ensure preparations are made to prepare for the fire season (such as preparing defensible space and identifying what needs protection)</p></li>
<li><p>Have a plan (with contingencies) about what to do on bad fire days and during a fire (that is, whether to <a href="http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/leave-and-live/">leave early and live</a> or to <a href="http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/9426/Staying-and-Defending-Factsheet.pdf">stay and defend</a>. Consider also how to <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/publications/biblio/bnh-1551">look after pets</a> and <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/publications/biblio/bf-3756">vulnerable people</a>.)</p>
<ul>
<li>Keep up to date with information (particularly when travelling in fire-prone areas).</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>While such actions might feel like a burden, it is a necessary cost of living in a fire-prone landscape like Australia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48654/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Fairman receives funding from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Duff receives funding from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre. </span></em></p>The fire season has arrived in southern Australia, but with a big El Niño driving hotter temperatures, will this be worse than other summers?Tom Fairman, PhD Student, The University of MelbourneThomas Duff, Postdoctoral Fellow, Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/358992015-01-07T19:27:51Z2015-01-07T19:27:51ZWe can build homes to survive bushfires, so why don’t we?<p>Dozens of homes and outbuildings have been destroyed in bushfires that have <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-06/adelaide-hills-bushfire-temperatures-rise-crews-flight-blaze/6001568">ravaged parts of South Australia</a> reminding us again how poorly adapted we are to bushfire prone landscapes. </p>
<p>With 15 years experience in design and planning to mitigate bushfire risk I have found that the two main barrier to affordable bushfire-responsive housing are:</p>
<ol>
<li>misinformation on the cost of building in bushfire prone areas</li>
<li>difficulties delivering an holistic design approach that integrates buildings and their landscapes in one risk mitigation/dwelling environment.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Misinformation on cost</h2>
<p>There is a growing public perception that building to the Australian Standard for construction in a bushfire-prone area – <a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1101539">AS 3959:2009</a> – is unaffordable.</p>
<p>This can be attributed to published construction cost premiums applied to each of the six bushfire attack levels (BAL) outlined in AS 3959, from BAL-Low, BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40 to BAL-FZ (Flame Zone). The source of these costings is the Australian Building Codes Board’s <a href="http://www.abcb.gov.au/%7E/media/Files/Download%20Documents/Archived/Consultation/Bushfire%20Construction%20Final%20Decision%20RIS.ashx">Regulatory Impact Statement</a> for AS 3959:2009.</p>
<p>This costing matrix, which has been represented on various state and local government websites around Australia such as <a href="http://www.swan.wa.gov.au/Our_City/Have_Your_Say/Bushfire_Amendment_Amendment_No_99/Bushfire_Amendment_FAQs">City of Swan</a>, in Western Australia, puts the extra cost of complying to the standards as up to A$20,885 for a “base home”.</p>
<p>These premiums have been derived from simplistic calculations where, for example, fibreglass fly screen mesh is upgraded to stainless steel ember mesh, or float glass is replaced with toughened safety glass.</p>
<p>The problem with this costing approach is that it assumes as a given, generic base house styles such as weatherboard construction and elevated lightweight construction. Elements are then substituted or added, such as the addition of bushfire shutters over conventional windows.</p>
<p>It is a very rudimentary costing exercise to take a generic home type and then substitute elements and ignores factors that contribute significantly to costs when building in bushfire prone areas. </p>
<p>Often the greatest contributor to cost is not the bushfire standards but the national energy rating requirements. This is because bushfire prone areas are both quite cold in winter and very hot in summer.</p>
<p>In these climate zones you need a building with mass – such as masonry – but also an open building with sufficient glazing to capture the winter sun and openings for natural cross ventilation. </p>
<h2>The constraint against integrated design</h2>
<p>Good design is about cross purposing – achieving more with less. So what designers should be looking for here are opportunities to integrate the otherwise disparate aspects of topography, thermal mass, radiant heat protection, insect control, flame contact, thermal comfort, sun shading, site access and escape into one holistic design. </p>
<p>One very practical example of this design approach is to eliminate veranda overhangs and eaves – which are proven weak links in bushfires – and replace these with perforated metal retractable shutters over windows.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68323/original/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A house the author designed with the perforated shutters to protect against bushfires, built to BAL-29.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrew Halsall</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These shutters then control the sun, insects, glare and wind as well as embers and radiant heat. Our research has found that this delivers a significant cost saving, but importantly, the bushfire risk mitigation device is used on a daily basis rather than once in an emergency. That is, it is integrated into the daily life of the home – it is not a rarely used add-on. </p>
<h2>Standards and planning</h2>
<p>What further impedes the integrated design approach is a disconnect between AS 3959 and the bushfire-specific site planning regulations of our state and local governments.</p>
<p>For example, there is no provision in AS 3959 for the design of escape routes from dwellings.</p>
<p>More concerning is that there is usually no requirement to apply this building standard at all unless the site has first been formally declared as a Designated Bushfire Prone Area. WA is about to declare all areas within 100 metres of bushland that is greater than 1 ha in area as bushfire prone. </p>
<p>Once declared, it is virtually impossible to mandate the application of the standard to existing dwellings via retrofitting. So we can have the now not uncommon situation where a well designed bushfire responsive house has a neighbouring property with a fire prone timber bungalow.</p>
<h2>The False-Sense-of-Security myth</h2>
<p>Perhaps the greatest constraint to the integrated design approach is the reticence of fire authorities and local governments across the country, to support the two highest levels of bushfire design BAL-40 and BAL-FZ.</p>
<p>The perception here is that for home owners to build to these levels would create a false sense of security, placing them in unexpectedly high levels of danger.</p>
<p>The reality is that every level of BAL represents the same level of risk – the lower the BAL the greater the distance between a dwelling and the bushfire prone vegetation. The higher the BAL the closer that vegetation can be to that dwelling.</p>
<p>But agencies encourage the building of conventional houses with low to mid-range BAL level features – no higher than BAL-29 – and then expect the homeowner to actively manage the vegetation hazard.</p>
<p>The problem that we see every fire season is that these active measures are frequently not carried out despite the many annual warnings for home owners to be prepared for bushfires.</p>
<p>For the fire authorities to promote this approach is somewhat paradoxical because the first principle of risk mitigation is to prioritise passive protection (such as building better bushfire protection) over active measures (keeping hazard vegetation cleared). Compared to permanent building features, landscapes are highly dynamic and far less dependable.</p>
<p>The reticence within agencies to promote better design reflects misconceptions about costs of implementing the building standard and the underlying risk mitigation principle.</p>
<p>An integrated approach places emphasis on active vegetation management where this can be practically achieved and building design solutions that deal with the many aspects associated with living in bushfire prone areas.</p>
<p>Only then will we start to see a reduction in the number of homes and properties destroyed when bushfires strike again.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/35899/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Weir is a consulting research architect with the Queensland University of Technology and director of Ian Weir Architect. In both roles he receives commissions for designing bushfire responsive houses. He is also a member of the Bushfire Building Council of Australia. </span></em></p>Dozens of homes and outbuildings have been destroyed in bushfires that have ravaged parts of South Australia reminding us again how poorly adapted we are to bushfire prone landscapes. With 15 years experience…Ian Weir, Head of Landscape Architecture, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/200722014-01-05T19:12:13Z2014-01-05T19:12:13ZWhich homes will survive this bushfire season?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/34972/original/q4dqygpk-1384222405.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People living in the bush can't rely too heavily on controlled burn-offs to protect their home.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Channel Ten</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>After the <a href="https://theconversation.com/reducing-bushfire-risk-dont-forget-the-science-19065">early onset of the 2013-14 bushfire season</a>, it is worth reviewing which homes are more likely to be left standing when the fires inevitably return.</p>
<p>One of the most important factors to note is that <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-history-of-vulnerability-putting-tasmanias-bushfires-in-perspective-11530">most house losses during bushfires</a> in Australia have occurred within 100 metres of bushland - and virtually all losses within 700 metres of bushland. So the measures discussed here relate principally to houses close to bushland areas.</p>
<h2>Clearing nearby hazards</h2>
<p>The single most effective hazard reduction measure <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0029212">during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires</a> was clearing native trees and shrubs within about 40 metres of homes. A low cover of trees and shrubs in this zone will act to reduce radiant heat and the volume of embers showering a house and also creates an area where adequately equipped individuals are more likely to successfully defend a house.</p>
<p>The type of garden around a home is also important. Houses among remnant native bushland are at greater risk than houses surrounded by a planted garden. Some research suggests that this is because of the amount of fine fuel (such as dead leaves) at ground level, since planted gardens tend to be more manicured. </p>
<p>Preliminary results from a study we are doing suggest that there may be some protection afforded by gardens that are regularly watered.</p>
<p>The upwind distance from houses to intact bushland is another crucial variable. Houses closer to intact bushland are at greater risk. </p>
<p>There is additional risk for houses close to bushland that is publicly managed, such as a state forest or national park. The reason for this is unclear, but may be because this bushland occurs as large, continuous patches and often on steeper terrain. There is no evidence that national parks present greater risk than other types of public land, such as state-owned land that is logged.</p>
<h2>Will burn-offs save my home?</h2>
<p>Despite a focus on hazard reduction burning by many commentators after bushfires in Australia, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0029212">we found</a> it was not as effective as the measures listed above.</p>
<p>On Black Saturday, there was only a moderate reduction in risk to houses from hazard reduction burning, but only where it was undertaken close to houses and within five years.</p>
<p>There is evidence that hazard reduction burning helps limit the spread of bushfires that burn in moderate weather, but has <a href="http://theconversation.com/reducing-bushfire-risk-dont-forget-the-science-19065">less effect</a> on bushfires burning during extreme and catastrophic conditions. </p>
<p>Yet most houses are destroyed during bushfires burning in extreme and catastrophic fire weather. For example, the small town of Marysville in Victoria was devastated on Black Saturday, despite a ring of previous hazard reduction burning.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ULvs42tpumQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Marysville after the Black Saturday fires in 2009, filmed by the Country Fire Authority.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Hazard reduction burning is also a challenge for fire management agencies. While the effect is short-lived, lasting less than five years, there are other factors to manage, including the effects from the smoke on people’s health, that the window of time for hazard reduction burning in any year can be short, and the ever-present risk of burn-offs getting out of control, such as in Margaret River in Western Australia two years ago, when 34 houses were destroyed.</p>
<p>Thus, home owners should not see hazard reduction burning as the single solution that will protect their houses from bushfires.</p>
<h2>It’s impossible to save every house</h2>
<p>The combination of all of the above actions — clearing close to houses, maintaining neat gardens, being further from bushland and regular hazard reduction burning close to houses — <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0029212">can substantially reduce house losses</a> during bushfires in Australia.</p>
<p>However, it is not feasible to apply all of these measures at every house. </p>
<p>If you live close to bushland you cannot simply move your house. Peri-urban areas, like the Blue Mountains in NSW, attract many people because of the bushland and its associated wildlife, so broad-scale clearing is unlikely to be tolerated by these communities. Hazard reduction burning near every house is also not feasible. </p>
<p>Thus, only some of these risk factors will ever be addressed at most houses in bushland areas.</p>
<p>Further, there are other factors that influence whether a house will survive a bushfire such as <a href="http://theconversation.com/how-can-we-build-houses-that-better-withstand-bushfires-19437">building design</a>, whether a fire brigade is in attendance and local weather conditions. For example, bushfires can generate convective winds that are strong enough to rip off the roof of a house. A house is virtually impossible to defend if this happens.</p>
<p>We must accept that houses will continue to be destroyed by bushfires in Australia.</p>
<p>Strategies such as safer places and early evacuations must therefore remain under strong consideration for people living in bushfire-prone areas.</p>
<p>And we must carefully consider where new houses should be built. House losses and unnecessary deaths will continue to increase in Australia if we keep building homes in bushfire-prone areas.</p>
<p><em>* You can read more Conversation articles on <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/bushfires">bushfires here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/20072/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip Gibbons receives funding from the Australian Government through its National Environmental Research Program, the Australian Research Council, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the ACT Government, Greening Australia and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Cary receives funding from the Bushfire CRC and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, and has recently recieved funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Greenhouse Office/Department of Climate Change Greenhouse Action in Regional Australia funding schemes, NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, US National Science Foundation.
</span></em></p>After the early onset of the 2013-14 bushfire season, it is worth reviewing which homes are more likely to be left standing when the fires inevitably return. One of the most important factors to note is…Philip Gibbons, Senior Lecturer, Australian National UniversityGeoff Cary, Associate Professor, Bushfire Science, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.