CSIRO’s House Survival Meter uses six important factors to calculate the probability that a house will survive a bushfire.
The House Survival Meter (HSM) was designed by AAG Wilson in 1987 following research into the destruction of houses in Victoria, Australia, during the devastating 1983 Ash Wednesday fires.
Important factors
The HSM provides a guide to the probability of a house surviving a bushfire based on six significant factors.
These factors cover aspects of both expected fire behaviour and the conditions of the house in question.
Two factors give a measure of the expected severity of the fire under dangerous weather conditions:
Other factors relate to the conditions of the house:
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if the house is attended during the fire
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wall cladding material (eg: weatherboard, brick)
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roof covering material (eg: tile or wood shingle)
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combustible fuel near the house (e.g fibrous-barked trees, wood heaps, sheds, brush fencing within 40 metres of the house).
Survival probability
The HSM combines these factors and determines a probability (from 0.1 per cent to 99.9 per cent) of your house surviving a bushfire.
The easiest and most effective way to increase the probability of your existing house surviving a bushfire is to reduce the amount of fine fuel within 100 metres of your house.
By selecting appropriate siting and materials for your new house, you can increase the chance of your house surviving a bushfire.
To view picture click on image.
Obtaining a house survival meter
All fire danger meters produced by CSIRO are available from:
Styrox (Aust) Pty Ltd
PO Box 461
Mona Vale NSW 2103
ph: +61 2 9997 1000
fax: +61 2 9997 2924
Learn more about our research in Bushfires.
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