The NSW RFS has excellent survival plans. This checklist covers what tradespeople see on homes every fire season — the physical, exterior tasks that reduce ember-attack risk on a South Coast property. Do these once a year, before summer.
What should you do to gutters before fire season?
Clear every gutter and roof valley of dry leaf litter before summer and flush the downpipes, because gutter debris is the most common ignition point in an ember attack. On BAL-rated properties, fit AS3959-compliant metal ember mesh so litter cannot rebuild between cleans.
Dry leaf litter in gutters is the single most common ignition point during ember attack. Get it clean before summer, every year.
- Full gutter clean before the fire season
- Downpipes flushed and free-flowing
- Valleys checked for debris build-up
- AS3959-compliant ember mesh installed on BAL-rated properties
How do you stop embers getting into the roof?
Close the gaps embers use: check roof tiles and sheets for lifting, fit ember-rated mesh to whirlybirds and vents, screen weep holes in brick walls, and clear combustible debris from roof-mounted evaporative coolers. Small openings matter far more than most homeowners expect during an ember attack.
Embers find every gap. Close them before fire season starts.
- Roof tiles or sheets checked for gaps and lifting
- Whirlybirds and vents fitted with ember-rated mesh
- Weep holes on brick walls screened
- Roof-mounted evaporative coolers checked for combustible debris
Are solar panels a bushfire risk on your roof?
The space under a solar array collects nests, twigs and dry droppings, which becomes a hidden ember trap sitting directly on the roof. Clear it out, fit bird-proofing mesh around the array perimeter, and check solar cable insulation for rodent damage while access is already set up.
Bird nests and debris under solar panels are a hidden ember trap. Coast Flow's solar bird proofing mesh addresses this and reduces panel-shading pest damage.
- Under-panel space cleared of nests and debris
- Bird-proofing mesh installed around the array perimeter
- Solar cable insulation checked for rodent damage
What about the ground around the house?
Keep roughly twenty metres around the home defensible: mow grass, prune branches overhanging the roof, clear stored timber and rubbish from under decks, and make sure hoses reach every side of the house. This is not our trade, but it is worth the annual reminder.
Not our specialty, but worth the reminder. Keep 20 metres of the home defensible: mown grass, pruned overhanging branches, cleared under-deck storage, and hoses that reach every side of the house.
Key takeaways
- Clean gutters annually before summer — non-negotiable
- Ember-rated (AS3959) mesh is the highest-value upgrade in a BAL zone
- Solar panels hide bird nests that become ember traps
- Combine this checklist with the RFS Bush Fire Survival Plan