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Your Level of Risk
Your level of bush fire risk affects your development requirements – the higher the risk, the more protection you need. We use the term ‘bush fire attack level’, or BAL, to quantify this risk.
Your level of bush fire risk is affected by the area you live, the vegetation, the distance from the vegetation to your home, and the slope. As part of your rebuild process, you will need to confirm your BAL in a written report. The NSW RFS can help with this step.
Alternatively, many people complete this step with a bush fire consultant. You can find an accredited Bush Fire Consultant at www.fpaa.com.au. You can also do a bush fire attack level risk assessment yourself, but you could possibly slow the process down if there are requests for more information from council.
There are six bush fire attack levels (see table below). BAL-Low is the lowest bush fire risk and Flame Zone is the highest.
Bush Fire Attack Level
| BAL | Description of risk |
|---|---|
| BAL – LOW | Lowest risk from a potential fire. |
| BAL – 12.5 | Risk is primarily from potential embers during a fire. |
| BAL – 19 | Moderate risk, particularly from embers and burning debris. |
| BAL – 29 | High risk, particularly from embers, debris and heat. |
| BAL – 40 | Very high risk. Likely to be impacted by embers, debris, heat and potentially flames. |
| BAL – FZ | Extreme risk. Directly exposed to the flames of a potential fire front. |
