Get Bushfire-Ready
The Queensland Fire Department's home-preparation checklist, arranged highest-impact first — tick off what you've done before the season starts around August.
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The Queensland Fire Department's home-preparation checklist, arranged highest-impact first — tick off what you've done before the season starts around August.
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Fire season on this side of the range starts with the dry season, around the beginning of August. This is the Queensland Fire Department's own preparation list for homes near bush, arranged so the highest-impact steps come first. Tick off what you've already done and the list shows what's next.
One road down the range
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These are the highest-impact steps first. Tick off what you've already done and the list updates.
Around 90% of homes destroyed in bushfire are lost to burning embers, not the fire front — so the openings embers can enter decide the most.
Dry litter in the gutter line is where wind-blown embers land first.
Mesh keeps embers out of the roof space and wall cavities.
Embers collect under open decks — a classic Queenslander weak point.
The aim is less fine fuel close to the house — grass, leaf litter and anything that burns fast.
Anything that catches beside a wall gives fire a way in.
Low branches let a grass fire climb into the canopy.
A fire crew may not be available for every home — and one that comes needs to find you and fit down your drive.
Much of the range is beyond hydrants — your tank may be the water on hand.
The paperwork matters as much as the rake: households with a written plan act earlier and argue less on the day.
Leaving early is the safest option, and deciding that now beats deciding it in smoke.
Nothing here is saved or sent — it's just for you, on this page.
These steps restate the Queensland Fire Department's Bushfire Safety Guide and the Queensland Government's prepare-your-home and prepare-your-garden guidance, checked 9 July 2026. Fire danger ratings and warnings for Queensland use the national AFDRS and Australian Warning System scales. For storm and flood help call the SES on 132 500; in an emergency, Triple Zero (000).
This restates the wildfire-preparedness guidance fire agencies share — it's general information, not a professional defensible-space assessment, and it can't promise a home will survive a fire or that an insurer will reinstate cover. Your fire authority's requirements come first; the channels above are where to confirm what your property needs.
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