Content overview: “NSW Black Summer Bushfires: 93% of Destroyed Homes Were Within 100m of Flammable Vegetatio”. New research reveals that 93% of homes destroyed in New South Wales during the 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires were located within 100 metres of flammable vegetation, the buffer zone used to identify high-risk properties. The study, led by researchers at the University of Wollongong and published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire, analysed 2,925 residential properties destroyed across NSW. It found that the 100-metre threshold—used in official planning and building regulations—captured nearly all losses, validating current risk mapping.
However, the authors warn that climate change is intensifying fire behaviour, with longer fire seasons and more extreme fire weather. Under future scenarios, ember attack and radiant heat may threaten homes beyond 100 metres from bushland. The researchers suggest that planning rules may need to expand buffer zones to 150 metres or more in high-risk areas. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.