Bushfire Shelters and Bunkers

Innovative Building Systems

ABN 27 059 916 488

Innovative Building Systems (IBS) would proudly like to introduce into the Australian market the IBS Bushfire Shelter and Bunker, which is specifically designed and engineered to Australian standards, after five years of consultation and testing by certified fire engineers.  IBS has been issued a Certificate of Accreditation from the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.

Our fire rated storerooms provide bushfire protection from everything to pets to personal items such as family photos, valuables, vehicles and much more.

Established in Warrandyte, Victoria and having a long family history of four generations in the area, we have a great understanding of the real-life dangers from extreme bushfires which pose a threat to lives, property, livestock and wildlife as our family home was lost in the 1939 Victorian bushfires.

In 2002; IBS built its first prototype fire shelter/storeroom for a family member in Warrandyte due to the local topography of the area and the simple fact in an extreme bushfire event, they would lose their personal possessions and not be able to escape the fire via local roads.  After the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfire where 173 people perished and 21 of whom died on the roads either being trapped or attempting to flee the fire, IBS set out to design and engineer a bushfire shelter, which could provide protection for families during the intense conditions and those trapped during a bushfire.  IBS designed a bushfire shelter and an in-ground bunker to meet those requirements.  The final design is a simple structure using Australian manufactured materials; 200mm Hebel PowerBlocks, 150mm Hebel Roof Panels and two fire doors.  All components used in our bushfire shelters and bunkers have a minimum 2-hour fire rating which have been tested in accordance with AS153.4 building regulations.  Construction of our Fire Shelters requires a 3 by 4.5 metre area and takes approximately 4 days to build.  Wheelchair access is also available on request.

In general; where it is deemed safe to evacuate prior to a bushfire event, the young, weak, frail or disabled should be evacuated to a safe area outside the bushfire zone and more able people to evacuate early.  In reality and in most cases, there may be no safe place to evacuate when a bushfire threatens families and properties when evacuation is considered more dangerous than remaining on the property.  If a home owner decides to stay and protect their property during a bushfire event, they should own our accredited bushfire shelter or bunker which has been designed, engineered and tested to provide protection and withstand extreme bushfire conditions.

While no bushfire shelter or bunker can be guaranteed to prevent loss of life due to varied factors such as human error, maintenance or usage, the IBS Bushfire Shelter has been designed, engineered and tested to improve your level of safety.

Features of the IBS Fire Shelter and Bunker

– Built to accommodate a maximum of 6 people.

– Built from CSR Hebel blocks, panels and fire doors to provide a minimum 2-hour fire rating.

– Construction for wheel chair access is available on request.

– Keeps you safely off the roads and allows easier access.

– Above ground makes easy access for the elderly and infirm.

– Can be used to store firefighting equipment.

– In ground version of the fire shelter is also available.

– Accredited bushfire shelters and bunkers provide safety and peace of mind during the bushfire season.

BRAC Accreditation_IBS_Bushfire_Shelter