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.

[data-tool-body-wait]{display:none}This part of the page needs JavaScript, and this browser isn’t running it. Everything else on the page still reads.

This still hasn’t loaded. It looks stuck rather than slow, so reloading is worth a try now.

Reload the page Other tools for Maleny

About these tools

Town Tools builds free, public tools for Maleny and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

Your home, zone by zone

Start here

You've done 0 of 6 highest-impact steps.

These are the highest-impact steps first. Tick off what you've already done and the list updates.

Clear the gutters and roof of leaves, twigs and bark, and consider gutter guards. — Dry litter in the gutter line is where wind-blown embers land first.
Fit steel wire mesh screens on windows, doors, vents and weep holes. — Mesh keeps embers out of the roof space and wall cavities.
Seal gaps in the external roof and cladding.
Enclose open areas under decks and floors. — Embers collect under open decks — a classic Queenslander weak point.
Move flammable things well away from the house — woodpiles, mulch, boxes, hanging baskets, outdoor furniture — and downslope if possible. — Anything that catches beside a wall gives fire a way in.

The house itself

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.

Clear the gutters and roof of leaves, twigs and bark, and consider gutter guards.Highest impact

Dry litter in the gutter line is where wind-blown embers land first.

Fit steel wire mesh screens on windows, doors, vents and weep holes.Highest impact

Mesh keeps embers out of the roof space and wall cavities.

Seal gaps in the external roof and cladding.Highest impact

Enclose open areas under decks and floors.Highest impact

Embers collect under open decks — a classic Queenslander weak point.

Point LPG cylinder relief valves away from the house.

Check and maintain firefighting pumps, generators and water systems before the season.

The garden and grounds

The aim is less fine fuel close to the house — grass, leaf litter and anything that burns fast.

Move flammable things well away from the house — woodpiles, mulch, boxes, hanging baskets, outdoor furniture — and downslope if possible.Highest impact

Anything that catches beside a wall gives fire a way in.

Mow regularly and remove long dry grass, dead leaves and fallen branches.

Trim the lowest branches around the home — the fire service's guide says up to two metres from the ground.

Low branches let a grass fire climb into the canopy.

Reduce vegetation along your access paths and driveway.

Help getting in

A fire crew may not be available for every home — and one that comes needs to find you and fit down your drive.

Make sure your house number is clearly visible from the road.

Keep about four metres of clear width and height on the way in for fire trucks, with room to turn around.

If you're on tank water, fit a 50 mm male camlock fitting with a shut-off valve so firefighters can draw from your tank.

Much of the range is beyond hydrants — your tank may be the water on hand.

Your plan, before the season

The paperwork matters as much as the rake: households with a written plan act earlier and argue less on the day.

Make or update your Bushfire Survival Plan as a household, every year — the official online builder takes minutes.Highest impact

Leaving early is the safest option, and deciding that now beats deciding it in smoke.

Pack an evacuation kit — battery radio, torch, medication, important documents and insurance papers, natural-fibre clothing, drinking water, pet supplies.

Make a contingency plan, and check whether a Neighbourhood Safer Place exists for your area — they are a last resort and not available everywhere.

Check your home and vehicle insurance is adequate.

Unsure about your risk? Call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) and ask to book a Property Advice Visit.

Nothing here is saved or sent — it's just for you, on this page.

Get Bushfire-Ready

About these tools

Your home, zone by zone

Your home, zone by zone

The house itself

The garden and grounds

Help getting in

Your plan, before the season

Where to get the real thing