Firebreaks and Fuel Loads
The Shire of Northam experiences a high number of bush fires during the spring and summer periods. Compliance with fire prevention measures assists with limiting the number and severity of such fires.
Shire of Northam Firebreak and Fuel Load notice helps to assist all owners and/or occupiers of land to carry out fire prevention works for the upcoming bush fire season. These requirements must be in place by the 1st of November each year and maintained until the 30th of April the following year. If you have just purchased a property during this period, you have 14 days from purchase to comply.
Inspection of all properties within the Shire will be undertaken from the 1st of November of each year by the Shire of Northam Ranger Services.
You can read the Firebreak and Fuel Load Notice here.
What is a Firebreak?
A firebreak is a strip or area of trafficable ground, that is three (3) metres wide of bare earth for bushland/remnant vegetation areas or two (2) metres wide for cropped/stubble and pasture areas, with a minimum height of 4 metres, which is kept and maintained totally clear of all flammable matter.
Firebreaks may be constructed by one or more of the following methods: ploughing, cultivating, scarifying, raking, burning, chemical spraying or other method as approved by an Authorised Officer.
In agricultural areas it is considered acceptable if a vehicle can travel through crop area within 10m of the property boundary to traverse around low branches or limbs.
Firebreak Examples:
Firebreak requirements for your property
If you are unable to do the firebreaks yourself, a list of contractors that do service the area for fire breaks are listed here
If your land has an area less than 10,000m2 (1 hectare)
- Maintain all grass on the land to a height no greater than 10cm all windrows or dead flammable material must be removed.
- Maintain fuel loadings in natural bush areas at less than 8 tonnes per hectare across the land
- Land with a habitable building on it must maintain a Building Protection Zone in line with the requirements of Section 1 of this notice.
If your land has an area greater than 10,000m2 (1 hectare) to 100,000m2 (10 hectare) – you can select one out of the three options below and included bullet points:
- Install bare earth firebreaks three (3) metres wide immediately inside within (10) metres of all boundaries in a continuous form. All overhanging branches, trees, limbs etc. to be trimmed back from over the firebreak area to a minimum height of four (4) metres to allow for the safe passage of a fire appliance or;
- Maintain all grass on the land to a height no greater than 10cm; all windrows and or dead flammable material must be removed. An access area within (10) metres of the boundary with a minimum width of (3) metres with a vertical clearance of (4) metres where all overhanging branches are trimmed back to allow for the safe passage of a fire appliance or;
- A combination of the above two options for properties with natural bush sections and pastured land sections;
- Land with a building on it must maintain a Building Protection Zone in line with the requirements of Section 1 of this notice.
- On land for the use of tendering livestock a level of feed can be maintained to last the season. All grass a distance of 5m from any firebreak must be maintained to a height no greater than 10cm.
- Maintain fuel loadings in natural bush areas at less than 8 tonnes per hectare across the land.
If your land is greater than 100,000m2 (10 hectare) – you can select one out of the three options below and included bullet points:
- Install bare earth firebreaks two (2) metres wide immediately inside within (10) metres of all boundaries in a continuous form, for all cropped/stubble areas, or three (3) metres wide for all natural bush/remnant vegetation areas on the property within ten (10) metres of the property boundary. All overhanging branches, trees, limbs etc. to be trimmed back from over the firebreak area to a minimum height of four (4) metres to allow for the safe passage of a fire appliance or;
- Maintain all grass on the land to a height no greater than 10cm; all windrows and or dead flammable material must be removed. An access area within (10) metres of the boundary with a minimum width of (3) metres with a vertical clearance of (4) metres where all overhanging branches are trimmed back to allow for the safe passage of a fire appliance or;
- A combination of the above two options for properties with natural bush sections and pastured land sections
- On land for the use of tendering livestock a level of feed can be maintained to last the season. All grass a distance of 5m from any firebreak must be maintained to a height no greater than 10cm.
- Maintain fuel loadings in natural bush areas at less than 8 tonnes per hectare across the land.
Fuel Depot and Storage Areas, Haysheds, Stockpiled Flammable Materials and Stationary Machinery.
- Remove all flammable matter within (10) metres of Fuel Depot and Storage Areas of where fuel drums whether containing fuel or not, fuel ramps or fuel dumps are located, Hay Shed, Stockpiled Flammable Materials, Stationary Machinery are stored.
- Install bare earth firebreaks three (3) metres wide immediately inside and along all boundaries of land in a continuous form with a vertical clearance of (4) metres where overhanging branches are trimmed back immediately adjacent to Stationary Motors, Haystacks, Stockpiled Flammable Materials and Stationary Machinery.
If you require a variation to the firebreak requirements
If it is considered impracticable for any reason whatsoever to implement any of the requirements of the above, you may apply in writing to the Shire of Northam by no later than the 1st of October each year for permission to implement alternative measures under the following options,
- a) A temporary variation for extenuating circumstances only
- b) A permanent feature of the property requires a variation to the order, if approved the variation will apply until specifically rescinded or replaced with a new individual notice by the shire.
Take notice if permission is not granted in writing you must comply with the requirements of the Firebreak and Fuel Load Notice.
N.B: Failure to comply with these requirements will be issued with an infringement and work orders to complete the work. Non-compliance of the work order will be charged as a Fire Hazard Reduction cost on your rates for the completion of the firebreak requirements as directed by the Shire of Northam.
More Information:
Department of Fire and Rescue (DFES) provides easy to use booklets to determine the fuel load on your property and ensure you have suitable firebreaks to allow easy access to your property in an emergency.
- Visual Fuel Load Guide - https://publications.dfes.wa.gov.au/publications/visual-fuel-load-guide-for-the-sawn-coastal-plain-and-darling-scarp
- A Guide to Constructing and Maintaining Fire-breaks – https://publications.dfes.wa.gov.au/publications/a-guide-to-constructing-and-maintaining-fire-breaks
- Fire-breaks - https://publications.dfes.wa.gov.au/publications/fire-breaks