The Bushfire Fuel Classification (BFC) will enable the categorisation of fuel complexes in order to capture spatial diversity as well as dynamic and structural complexity in a way that accommodates existing models for fire behaviour and assists development of fire-management, decision-support systems.

It is the result of a collaborative effort to develop nationally consistent and locally relevant bushfire fuel classification. The concept and framework for the BFC are introduced, an overview of the proposed BFC is provided, the interdependency on multiple data sources and applications is highlighted and the case study process used to test the framework operationally across field fuel plots and the resultant GIS layers is described. Finally, it discusses the need for a cohesive effort to implement the BFC.

The main objectives of the fuel classification are: to synthesise fuel attributes required by fire behaviour models and other land management tools into a finite set of categories that ideally represent all possible fuel types in a region and their subsequent fire behaviour and effects; to catalogue fuel attributes and parameters describing the dynamics and physical structure of each fuel type; and to maintain a fuel library (containing concepts, definitions, and references) and documentation of procedures for assessment and inventory of fuels.

The BFC consists of a framework and a set of standards for fuel classification. The framework provides a structure to allow fuel to be described by its component type and structural form based on vegetation and relates these to the fuel parameters and attributes. The attributes are those physical and chemical parameters that affect ignition, heat release, rate of combustion and spotting potential. The completed standards are a glossary of fuel terms and a guideline for measuring fuel parameters. It is proposed to include a standard on dynamic fuel models.