If you live in a rural area, or on the rural/urban interface, can face dangers from wildfires. You can reduce these dangers by managing the vegetation around your home.

• Fuel is the only component of fire that can be altered to reduce the probability of damage from wildfires.
• The replacement of high flammability species with lower flammability species can reduce fire hazard and help create a defensible space around your home that allows heat and embers to dissipate.
• Low flammability species can also be positioned to break up flammable landscapes, provide a buffer zone bordering urban areas, or to reduce fire hazard in the immediate vicinity of individual properties. 

Planting less

• The best way to protect your house is to reduce the intensity of the fire as it approaches; this can be achieved by creating an area around your house where all flammable material such as scrub vegetation, long, rank grass, leaves and twigs has been removed.
• The flammability of vegetation affects fire intensity, which has a major influence on fire control and the chance of homes being damaged or destroyed by fire.
• High flammability fuels have characteristics which greatly assist fire spread; for example, heavy fuel loads, continuous structure, volatile oils, or low moisture contents.

Flammability classes of plants

High flammability species

Kunzea ericoides	Kanuka
Leptospermum scoparium	Manuka

For further information

• On which species to grow best in your area, contact your local nursery.
• Protecting your property from fire, contact your local Fire and Emergency office,
• Research into fire behaviour and fuel (vegetation) types, contact Scion Rural Fire Research