Irrigated Green Firebreaks on Wildland-Urban  Interfaces: A Conceptual Design Framework Informed by Noosa Shire, Australia

Jady Smith; Anthony Power; Francis E. "Jack" Putz; Sam Van Holsbeeck

doi:10.20944/preprints202607.0168.v1

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Irrigated Green Firebreaks on Wildland-Urban Interfaces: A Conceptual Design Framework Informed by Noosa Shire, Australia

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Irrigated Green Firebreaks on Wildland-Urban Interfaces: A Conceptual Design Framework Informed by Noosa Shire, Australia

Jady Smith, Anthony Power, Francis E. "Jack" Putz and Sam Van Holsbeeck

Preprints.org, Vol.2 July 2026

MDPI AG

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202607.0168.v1

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Abstract

irrigated green fire-break (iGFB)

wildland urban interface (WUI)

green firebreak (GFB)

green infrastructure

fire regulating ecosystem service

emerging technologies

Wildfire risks are increasing due to climate change, which poses a challenge to conventional firefighting strategies. In the wildland–urban interface (WUI), people and their infrastructure are increasingly vulnerable to fire. Strategic planting of low-flammable vegetation as green firebreaks has emerged to support wildfire management in the WUI. However, under extreme heat and drought, even low-flammability plants become fuel, contributing to fire spread and intensity. This paper presents a conceptual design framework for irrigated green firebreaks (iGFBs), which integrate vegetation design with supplemental irrigation to maintain fuel moisture and enhance fire-regulating ecosystem services. The framework is structured around landscape contexts, priority ecosystem services, integrated design solutions, and implementation considerations. A case study in Noosa Shire, Queensland, Australia, demonstrates how urban water reuse, including greywater and rainwater, can provide the needed irrigation in a WUI landscape. The iGFB concept highlights the potential to reduce fire intensity and slow fire spread while delivering co-benefits such as localised cooling and enhanced biodiversity. While the framework is site-responsive, its underlying principles are transferable to other WUI settings. Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of iGFBs under different fire and climate scenarios.

Details

Title: Irrigated Green Firebreaks on Wildland-Urban Interfaces: A Conceptual Design Framework Informed by Noosa Shire, Australia
Authors: Jady Smith - University of the Sunshine Coast
Anthony Power - University of the Sunshine Coast
Francis E. "Jack" Putz - University of the Sunshine Coast
Sam Van Holsbeeck - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Preprints.org, Vol.2 July 2026
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202607.0168.v1
ISSN: 2310-287X
Copyright note: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991251395202621
Output Type: Preprint

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