WA community keen to become more Firewise

Launched in June 2024, the Firewise Gardening in Western Australia guide has quickly become a favourite among garden enthusiasts across the State. The resource is designed to assist homeowners to plan and design their gardens to beautify their properties and reduce risk of property loss and damage during bushfires.

A firewise garden is a strategically planned space that surrounds a home, where plant selection, layout and maintenance play crucial roles in mitigating fire impact.

In recent months, the DFES Bushfire Centre of Excellence (BCoE) team has actively participated in various community events to promote the guide and educate the public on firewise gardening. These events included the Kalamunda Garden Festival (Spring), DFES Bushfire Community Day and the Gidge Show.

Chris Ferriera from The Forever Project created real-life firewise demonstration gardens and delivered engaging presentations on firewise gardening principles. DFES staff supported these presentations by distributing the Firewise resource and providing essential information on bushfire preparedness.

The community’s enthusiasm for learning about bushfire preparedness and their interest in firewise principles has been overwhelmingly positive. In addition to these large-scale events, DFES regions across the metropolitan and South West have been organising community firewise events to engage with local communities, increase awareness and help residents better prepare for bushfires.

The Firewise Gardening in Western Australia guide is available for free on the DFES website, making it accessible to all Western Australians keen to become more Firewise.

The BCoE team has developed a range of materials to support and facilitate Local Governments to run their own Firewise community events.

For a copies of the Firewise guide or further information, email bushfirecoe@dfes.wa.gov.au