Penrith Bush Fire Management Committee Bush Fire Risk ...

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PENRITH BUSH FIRE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE DRAFT BUSH FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN Chapter 3 - Bush Fire Risk Description 3.1 Introduction This chapter describes the level of bush fire risk to community and ecological/environmental assets across the Penrith Council area. It also provides a brief explanation of what is meant by the term bush fire risk, and how the level of bush fire risk across the Penrith Council area was determined. 3.2. What is Bush Fire Risk? Bush fire risk is defined as the chance of a bush fire igniting, spreading and causing damage to assets of value to the community. Three main factors that contribute to the bush fire risk: 1. The potential severity of the fire (or bush fire hazard). The bush fire hazard is influenced by the vegetation, slope, and weather conditions. 2. How close the bush fire hazard is to an asset (or bush fire threat). The further an asset is located from a bush fire hazard, the less likely it is to be damaged or destroyed by the bush fire. 3. The capacity of an asset to cope with, and recover from the expected bush fire (or vulnerability). Different types of assets have different abilities to cope with fire. 3.3 Bush Fire Risk Assessment Methodology The method used to identify the level of bush fire risk across the Penrith Council area is outlined below. More detailed information about the methodology can be obtained from Coordinating Committee Bush Fire Risk Management Planning Guidelines. Step 1. Identify the Bush Fire Hazard. The bush fire hazard was assessed by combining information about the type of vegetation (and how well it burns during a bush fire), slope, and the likely weather conditions on days when major bush fires are likely to start and spread rapidly. Step 2. Identify the Bush Fire Threat. The bush fire threat to various community and ecological/environmental assets within the Penrith Council area was assessed by estimating how close these assets were located to a bush fire hazard. Step 3. Identify the Bush Fire Risk. The bush fire risk to community and ecological/environmental assets was determined by assessing how well the different types of assets within the Penrith Council area were likely to withstand and recover from the level of bush fire threat expected. Based on this assessment, the bush fire risk posed to assets was placed into one of five bush fire risk classes (extreme, major, moderate, minor, or insignificant). An explanation of what each of these bush fire risk classes mean is included in the appendices. Page 14
PENRITH BUSH FIRE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE DRAFT BUSH FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN 3.4 Bush Fire Risk in Penrith Council area Maps 7 and 10, show the level of bush fire risk to community and environmental/ecological assets across the Penrith Council area. A brief description of the bush fire risk to community and environmental/ecological assets across the Penrith Council area is provided below. 3.4.1 Bush Fire Risk Description (a) Urban Areas The Penrith Council area has a number of areas facing extreme, major, moderate and minor bush fire risk, which are identified on map 7. The areas with an extreme bush fire risk are the urban/bushland interface areas, within approximately 100m of the bush, where development occurred prior to bush fire protection mechanisms being incorporated into the development. Without adequate management, there is a high probability of the loss of many houses and lives in a bush fire burning under severe conditions. Some of the urban interface areas face a major risk from bush fires. These areas are also located within 100m of the bush, but have some protection mechanisms such as housing design and perimeter roads which lower the risk from extreme to major. Without adequate management, loss of some houses and the loss of life is possible in a bush fire burning under severe conditions. Those houses located approximately 100m to 2.5km from the interface are considered to face a moderate bush fire risk, primarily from burning embers. Some chance of localised damage is possible in a severe bush fire. The remaining urban areas face an insignificant level of bush fire risk. (b) Environmental/Ecological Assets Mulgoa Nature Reserve, Castlereagh Nature Reserve, and the Crown Lands to the north west of Londonderry are also a major bush fire risk. Frequent fires over the last 20 years mean that the fire regime is already exceeded, and another major fire will result in a decline in biodiversity and possible species loss. Those environmental assets concentrated primarily in the northern portion of the District potentially could suffer longer term damage as a result of fire over the landscape, much of which includes possible habitat sites of threatened species. The bush fire risk to these areas is rated as moderate. (c) Agricultural Areas Within the cropping and grazing areas, the bush fire risk has been assessed as major; as when cured, the grasslands and crops are easily ignited and spread fire easily. A fire burning under severe weather conditions could result in widespread loss of crops, stock, pasture and fences and have an affect to the economy of the district. Page 15
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