Fire weather is the most important factor determining fire intensity, fire severity, rate of fire spread, the area burned and the probability of containment.
Most house losses occur on days when the fire danger rating is severe or higher.
When fire danger is severe or higher, the effectiveness of previous fuel treatment diminishes. Under more moderate forest fire danger rating, most fuel treatment is effective at changing bushfire behaviour for only around five years.
The location of fuel reduction is more important in reducing infrastructure loss than how much prescribed burning occurs in the landscape, with proximity of the treatment to infrastructure being a key factor.
Under projected fire weather conditions, the effectiveness of prescribed burning and other fuel treatment is likely to be further substantially reduced.
All landholders and land use planning agencies share responsibility for reducing the exposure of valued assets to bushfire risk.
Multiple strategies are required to reduce the risk of infrastructure loss due to bushfire; risk can be reduced but not eliminated.
