Insurance

Rethinking Bushfire Resilience

Leveraging BAL Ratings to Foster Safer, More Sustainable Communities

Australia’s bushfire risk is rising as the climate changes. Hotter temperatures, shifting rainfall, and more extreme weather lead to fires that are both frequent and intense.

Four key factors drive this risk:

Fuel load: More vegetation means more material to burn.
Dryness: Warmer, drier conditions remove moisture from plants.
Extreme weather: Heatwaves and strong winds increase fire intensity.
Natural ignition: More frequent lightning strikes can spark new fires.

To help communities measure their bushfire risk and improve resilience, the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rates a location’s potential exposure to embers, radiant heat, and direct flame. Defined in Australian Standard AS 3959-2018, the BAL rating guides building design and community planning to reduce the likelihood of damage from bushfires.

BAL ratings depend on accurate, site-specific data.

*An illustration showing levels of BAL ratings. Source: NSW Rural Fire Service*

Refining BAL with Geoscape Data

Geoscape offers detailed datasets that help refine BAL assessments. The Geoscape Buildings dataset covers every building in Australia, using satellite and aerial imagery to track building footprints, heights, roof types, and more.

Geoscape also incorporates extra details using Third Party data, like the Fire Danger Index, vegetation types, and slope to give a fuller picture of local bushfire risk.

With this information, homeowners are given agency to take practical steps to reduce fire risk. Knowing their BAL enables them to take action such as clearing flammable vegetation around their properties or choosing building materials designed to withstand embers.

Emergency services can prioritise resources and response plans more effectively, and insurers can calculate premiums that reflect actual risk levels—potentially reducing costs for homeowners who invest in bushfire-resistant measures.

The building blocks of this solution

Geoscape Buildings

Insights on every building in Australia to enable data driven decision making.

Custom solutions

Our expert team can enhance and enrich Geoscape’s datasets to meet your organisation’s needs

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