Bushfire Ember Sprinklers - Perth & Western Australia

Embers are particularly dangerous because they can travel several kilometres ahead of the actual fire. They exploit “weak points” in a building that might otherwise survive the heat:

• The “Vulnerability” Window: A house is often lost 15 minutes to an hour after the fire front has passed because embers have lodged in gutters or under floorboards and smouldered unnoticed.
• Accumulation: While a single ember rarely burns a house down, thousands of them landing on a property create a “hailstorm” effect that finds every gap in the construction.

A a town planner, i’ve delt with bush fire planning for three decades and project managed building construction in bushfire prone areas. I’ve also drafted development guidelines for the State – DBCA (formally CALM) on how to navigate the complex array of inputs to development and bushfire planning under different management regimes across WA, responsive to State Planning Policy.

While I love the bush, I love my family much more. Living on a property with the highest Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Flame Zone (refer notes below) in the City of Kalamunda, we have an evacuation plan and many measures to assist our safety in the event of a bushfire including various fire fighting equipment.

A planned and early evacuation should always be the priority and i’d encourage all to download the Emergency WA app.

After all, there are circumstances where no home can be saved, no matter the building material, age or quality.

But what happens when you receive a ‘stay in place’ notification (too late to leave) from Emergency WA?

After noting this ‘stay in place’ notification in several recent fires in 2025 and 2026 close proximity to my home, I’ve applied my experience and research to design to an affordable and reliable approach to mitigate ember attack (responsible for the majority of homes lost) as one element of our broader plan.

So what bushfire sprinkler system would help mitigation ember attack?

While there are many products out there, mainly by reticulation companies, I’d encourage most residents in higher bushfire danger areas (BAL ratings) to avoid the following:

• Mains water systems reliant on mains pressure
• Domestic power connected systems reliant on the power grid (with no off grid support i.e. generator)
• Expensive remote start systems reliant on 4 or 5G telecommunications network

All three scenarios have a significant to high chance of failing or underperformance in bushfire conditions due to lack of mains pressure, power and telecommunications outages.

Plan A are happy to offer a design service, part or full installation for a professional presurised system:

• If your handy and you’re happy to DIY, you could improve your piece of mind for about the cost of your annual insurance in a bushfire location with one of our designs supporting your installation starting around $3,500.

• Fully designed and installed systems start around $5,500 (below) you can provide high volume broad water distribution to mitigate ember attack.

• If you just need a hand putting the more complicated component together we can do that very quickly for you at an agreed hourly rate delivered direct to you. These are professional systems often with 75 or more components, however, much of the poly pipe above or in ground work is easier than domestic reticulation, whereby you can make significant savings with a DIY approach.

• Prices vary depending on your preferences, sprinkler type, how discrete the system will be and the scale and complexity of the site.

The packages includes: quality internationally supported pumps with local service / support, galvinised pipes / blue line poly, brass sprinklers, suction pipe, backflow devices, fittings, manufacturers pump warrantee, pump cover and checklist guidance.

Watch it in operation: The YouTube video link shows the basic system (above) in operation at both low and high speed delivering <100 litres a minute, with each sprinkler achieving a 15 metres radius covering over a total area of ember suppression of 1000sqm.

Importantly, roof areas soaked every few seconds. This site includes a separate fire fighting tank, hose and pump facility also supporting the above installation.

Other options can deliver an umbrella affect via butterfly sprinklers. Our systems can easily scale up scale up well in excess of 200 litres per minute (for residential) with several more sprinklers providing denser coverage at limited additional cost.

Please reach out for an obligation free estimate if the above circumstances suit your needs.

Please note: these systems are for ember attack suppression only (the major risk on ‘likelihood’ noted above), not direct flame or ambient heat risk. This is a mitigation system, meaning that its designed to assists, but it does not entirely eliminate ember risks in variable conditions or responsive to ember entry points or ignition points that vary from site to site and house to house. Different sites also suite different sprinkler set up depending on the risks apparent to the curtilage of your dwelling.

ABOUT BAL

In Western Australia, Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) ratings are a standardized measure of a building’s potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat, and direct flame contact. BAL assessments are mandatory for new, renovated, or extended buildings in designated bushfire-prone areas to determine necessary construction materials and safety measures.

Here is a summary of the six BAL ratings in WA:

• BAL-LOW (Very Low Risk): No specific construction requirements.
• BAL-12.5 (Low Risk): Risk of ember attack only. Requires minimum fire-resistant materials, such as ember guards.
• BAL-19 (Moderate Risk): Moderate risk of ember attack and burning debris, with heat flux up to 19 kW/m².
• BAL-29 (High Risk): High risk of embers and radiant heat up to 29 kW/m². Stringent building requirements apply to protect against high heat and debris.
• BAL-40 (Very High Risk): Very high risk, with increased danger from embers, debris, and heat, including potential flame exposure.
• BAL-FZ (Flame Zone – Extreme Risk): Direct exposure to flames, extreme radiant heat, and ember attack. Requires the most stringent, specialized construction methods.

Key Aspects of BAL in WA:

• Assessment: A BPAD-accredited practitioner (Bushfire Planning and Design) must conduct a site-specific assessment, which considers vegetation type, slope, and distance from the building.
• Map: The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) maintains a Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas to determine if a property requires an assessment.
• Mitigation: An Asset Protection Zone (APZ) or fuel-reduction zone around the building can sometimes be used to lower the BAL rating.
• Compliance: BAL ratings are mandatory for development approvals in designated areas to ensure building resilience.

For more useful information, see: Protecting Your Home From Bushfire – FPA Australia