 The landscaping and design choices that you make for your gardens and backyards can significantly affect the bushfire risk to your home. So you need to make sure you're making the right decisions. There are three main reasons that houses burn down during fire. Embers landing on or near the house, which is the most common way houses catch fire. Radiant heat from burning vegetation near the house, or direct flame contact. Start by creating defendable space. You should have an inner zone immediately around your house where you reduce, remove or rearrange vegetation. This can limit the impacts of radiant heat and direct flame contact. It would normally be about 10 metres out from the house. You should also have an outer zone where vegetation is managed to a more moderate level. Use driveways and paths to create separation between vegetation and the house. Trees and vegetation should not be located close to vulnerable parts of the building such as windows, decks and eaves. Concrete or pave up to the edge of the house, or replace flammable mulches such as tan bark with inorganic alternatives such as river pebbles or gravel. Keep grass cut to 5 centimetres within the inner zone and 10 centimetres within the outer zone. Locate shrubs away from trees. Shrubs and surface vegetation can act as a ladder fuel to carry fire up into the trees. To limit a fire's ability to spread, clump trees together so they don't form a continuous canopy and keep garden beds separated. Both can be achieved by clever placement of gravel paths or mown grass, elements in any good garden design. There are no fire proof trees or plants. All vegetation can burn under the right conditions. However, some are less flammable than others so it's important to carefully select and properly maintain vegetation. Avoid trees with loose ribbon or stringy bark that could shower your house with embers during a fire. Locating trees a safe distance from the house will reduce the chance of limbs falling and damaging the structure. If this happens embers could get inside and set fire to your home. Back at the house you can strengthen the building against the risk of embers by sealing any gaps and making improvements to the structure. Seal around windows, doors and eaves to prevent embers lodging in any gaps and ensure painted surfaces aren't flaking. You can prevent leaf litter and embers getting under the deck and into the underfloor space by sealing any vents or gaps using a steel mesh. More expensive options including sprinklers on the roof can make a big difference to house survivability. Fire burns wherever there is fuel. If you reduce the fuel around your home you can reduce how hot and destructive a fire is as it passes through your property. We have only touched on a few actions for you to consider. CFA has extensive information on designing your garden for bushfire. And don't forget the final part of preparing your property. A big cleanup before summer and maintenance throughout the season.