Bushfire performance of native Australian wood species

This paper describes fire safety experiments on Australian native timber samples with a special focus on their use in bushfire-prone areas. Nine species were assessed through testing in a cone calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of density, moisture content and chemical extractives content were evaluated. Marked differences in ignition times were found, possibly due to variations in density across species, as well as the chemical extractives content. Analysis of the heat flow through DSC indicated that the type of extractives can influence the fire safety performance and that this aspect of wood properties merits further study. One additional species was identified as a suitable candidate for bushfire-resisting species in the Australian bushfire context. •Determination of flammability of northern Australia timber species.•Multiscale testing of varied density and extractive content.•Assessment for timber use in bushfire attack level 29 zones.•Extractives content and ignition have linear correlation.