Burn SMART Community Demonstration

Under the Bush Fires Act 1954, the City of Kalamunda issues a Fire Hazard Reduction Notice that require landholders or occupiers of land to install and maintain firebreaks and reduce fuel areas around their boundaries and assets. This is to help prevent the start or spread of a bushfire. The requirements of these firebreak or hazard reduction notices vary depending on the size of the property.

Planned burning is the deliberate burning of a pre-determined area under the right environmental conditions to reduce fuel loads. Planned burns are done under mild and stable weather conditions so that the fire burns slowly and with low flame heights. Planned burning is just one of several methods used to reduce fuel loads. Other methods include raking, slashing, ploughing and weed control. When combined, these methods can:

🔥 Maximise the effectiveness of your fuel management
🔥 Reduce the impact of bushfire
🔥 Assist in protecting life and property

Smart Burn Objectives:

1. The Burn Smart campaign aims to educate community members about planned burning on private land. Planned burning on private property is essential part of reducing the bush fire risk, however escaped burns increase the risk of impacting property and lives and put a strain on firefighting resources.
2. To provide landowners better understanding of planned burning and reduce the risk of their burns escaping.
3. Provide the community with the tools to make decisions on the most effective method to mitigate their risk of bushfire.
4. Achieve compliance with the City of Kalamunda’s Fire Hazard Reduction Notice 2021-2022.
5. Assess the preparedness of the local community.

Done properly, planned burning is an efficient way to remove the build-up of fuel over larger areas of land where other methods are too labour intensive.

Used appropriately, a planned burn not only helps to safeguard lives and property in the event of a bushfire, but generally results in less environmental disturbance than other methods, benefiting many native plants and animals.