Almost all NSW homes destroyed in black summer bushfires were within 100 metres of flammable vegetation
Exclusive : Research confirms official advice about high-risk properties and warns worsening conditions will make more homes unsafe Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Almost every home destroyed in New South Wales during the black summer bushfires of 2019 and 2020 was inside the 100 metre buffer zone used to identify properties most at risk,…
New research confirms that nearly all homes destroyed in New South Wales during the 2019-2020 black summer bushfires were located within 100 metres of flammable vegetation. This finding validates the bushfire risk maps used by authorities, but warns that worsening fire conditions due to climate change may require extending the recommended safe distances between homes and vegetation.
Over 3,000 homes were lost across Australia during these devastating fires, with 94% of the 2,475 homes destroyed in NSW being within 100 metres of flammable vegetation. Associate Professor Owen Price, who led the research, stated that the 100 metre buffer rule is "pretty good" in identifying high-risk properties, but warned that as fire danger ratings increase with global heating, more homes may be at risk even when located farther away from vegetation.
The research also highlights the importance of building homes to higher fire standards in high-risk areas to protect against future bushfire seasons.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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