The Australasian Fire And Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Summer 2024 is another grim reminder of the imminent and potentially deadly bushfire season and the importance of homes and facilities pursuing preventative methods to save lives and infrastructure.
Increasingly hot and dry conditions are exacerbating the threat of bushfires to already vulnerable and exposed communities, says Professor Guan Yeoh fromUNSW’s School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. He underlines the deeply problematic nature of one in five new homes approved last year in Victoria emerging in bushfire-prone areas.
“That really highlights how urgently we need new innovations to better protect our communities,” says Yeoh.
Paint armed with added layers of defence
In responding to the need for innovative and rigorous fire prevention methods, Yeoh and his team at UNSW have developed a fire-retardant paint that has the potential to outperform traditional paint methods in providing defence against fire damage.
The paint has been subject to thorough testing in Australia and overseas, spearheaded by the eventual goal for it to be used in non-bushfire-prone areas. Such areas include urban environments battling evolving fire risks associated with new energy technologies.
Additional fire prevention technologies include interior paint and spray solutions that offer an extra layer of defence in high-risk areas that receive regular bushfire alerts and evacuation orders.
Looking beyond today’s bushfire prevention
Flame Security International (FSI) managing director and co-founder Justin Rooney says future-proofing and adapting to unavoidable and escalating climate risks is a crucial step in fighting bushfires. With origins in Sweden as a company tasked with creating flame-retardant textiles for IKEA, FSI excels in developing and commercialising advanced fire protection solutions.
“We need to be smarter in how we plan and find ways to live with fire risks,” Rooney says.
“With bushfires now an unavoidable part of Australian summers, it’s so important to help communities here and around the world take simple, practical steps to protect what matters most.”
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