In Australian Standards AS3959, they have classified different bushfire intensity levels that a home may experience during a bushfire. These intensity levels are referred to as Bushfire Attack Levels, or BAL’s for short.
- BAL Flame Zone
- BAL 40
- BAL 29
- BAL 19
- BAL 12.5
- BAL Low
- The region where you live.
- The vegetation type around your property.
- The distance from your home to individual vegetation types.
- Slope on the property.

BAL Calculator
www.balreport.com.au is a website which has been provided to assist those wishing to calculate bushfire attack levels. To access the BAL Calculator, click here to visit the site and start entering the relevant details.
Once you have worked out your bushfire attack level, you are then able to refer to the relevant section of the Australian Standards AS3959. These sections guide you on the steps that should be taken during the construction or retrofitting of a property, in order to lower risks associated with living in bushfire prone areas.
For more information on downloading the Australian Standards AS 3959 click here.