The 2003 Canberra bushfires were noted for very high levels of
house loss deep into suburban areas. Fire jumping from house to
house was a major issue. Project leader Justin Leonard of CSIRO
Sustainable Ecosystems set out to look at what aspects of house
construction contributed to such losses. He also looked at the
safety of wooden power poles – many of which caught fire and
fell, blocking roads, in the Canberra fires – as well as the
critical issue of surviving in a car if caught by fire on the
road. In an effort to understand the role of critical elements
in and around the home, the research team conducted a series of
experiments over several years. At the New South Wales Hot Fire
Facility at Mogo, the team subjected typical home fences, decks,
windows, water tanks and fences to flames typical of bushfires.
The tests found, for example, that metal fences survived the
best. Hardwood fences, though they would burn, acted as a
barrier to radiant heat, helping to protect a home. Softwood
fences such as treated