The steel-framed house at the height of the flame test at Mogo on Friday 16 April 2010. (CSIRO)

Burning down the house (a trial by fire)

CSIRO scientists have 'flame-tested' a steel-framed house near Mogo on the New South Wales south coast to see how the structure would stand up to realistic bushfire conditions. (4:49)

3 May 2010 | Updated 25 November 2011

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Constructed almost entirely from steel and featuring a non-flammable roof cavity, the house may provide a straightforward and affordable building option for bushfire-prone areas.

Fire researchers consider that a house constructed predominantly of steel should be able to survive in the flame zone of a real bushfire, assuming that windows or other external openings have not been breached.

The concept is that the entire non-combustible building façade, insulation and frame acts to protect the habitable space.

In this vodcast the test house undergoes a range of bushfire conditions, from ember attacks to engulfing the structure in flames.