Tasmania Fire Service and the State's fire law
The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) is the operational arm of the State Fire Commission, which was established in 1979. TFS traces its history to the original Hobart Town fire brigade of 1827 (TFS: about us). The Fire Service Act 1979 (Tas) amalgamated the State's fire services and consolidated the law on preventing and extinguishing fires and protecting life and property from fire. This is general information, not legal advice.
TFS puts the fire out. Measuring what the smoke left on walls, ceilings and contents is a separate question, and it is the one Test Australia answers.
Southern Tasmania's bushfire history
On Black Tuesday, 7 February 1967, 110 fire fronts burned across 2,640 square kilometres of southern Tasmania. The fires killed 62 people in a single day (AIDR: reflections on Black Tuesday).
The 2018–19 fires, started by lightning from late December 2018, burned more than 200,000 hectares, or 2.9% of Tasmania's land area, and January 2019 was the State's warmest and driest on record. Thick smoke blanketed Maydena and the Tyenna Valley, and Geeveston and other Huon Valley settlements were threatened for several days (AIDR: 2018–19 Tasmanian bushfires).
Bushfire smoke inside Hobart homes
The Department of Health warns that bushfire smoke can harm health even well away from the fire, and advises staying indoors with windows and doors closed when it is smoky (Tasmanian Health: bushfire smoke). Health questions belong with your doctor. What an inspection can add is a record of residue that settled indoors after the smoke cleared.
Smoke drifting in from outside calls for a different sampling plan from a fire inside the building, so tell us which applies. Common requests include homes near bushland after a nearby fire, rentals after a heater or chimney fire, and contents being sorted for a claim. The bushfire season guide has more background.
What a Hobart fire residue assessment samples
Suitably qualified occupational hygienists take wipes and tape lifts from affected rooms and from less-affected areas for comparison. Where the question needs it and the scope includes it, samples are also analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) or other products of combustion. The report names the laboratory and states any accreditation that applies. Test Australia itself is not NATA-accredited. See PAH testing after a fire and the national fire damage page.
Each result is read against a criterion the report names, with the reason for that choice. Residue removed before sampling cannot be measured later, so if the evidence matters, contact us before strip-out begins. The guides to fire damage contamination assessment and contents salvage explain more.
Fire claims and tenancies in Hobart
Any party to an insurance claim can commission the assessment, and the report is the same whoever pays. Decisions about cleaning, replacement and cost belong to the owner, the insurer and their advisers. Whether a tribunal, court or insurer relies on a report is a decision for them. The fire damage insurance claims guide covers the process in general terms.
Test Australia does not clean, restore or recommend contractors. Read why we only test, look through the types of assessment work, or see all testing in Hobart. If water from firefighting soaked the building, mould inspection in Hobart or bacteria testing in Hobart may also be relevant.
Steps for a Hobart fire residue report
- Tell us what burned. Send the Hobart address, whether the fire was inside or the smoke came from outside, what has been removed and any claim deadline.
- Confirm the written scope. The fee proposal lists the rooms, the comparison areas, any PAH analysis and the purpose of the report.
- Sampling before strip-out. Wipes and tape lifts are collected from affected and comparison areas, with photographs and chain-of-custody records.
- Report against a named criterion. Each result is set out with the criterion used and the limits of the work. Reports are available within 5 business days of the laboratory results being received.
Hobart fire damage testing questions
Who fights fires in Hobart, and does that include residue testing?
The Tasmania Fire Service, the operational arm of the State Fire Commission, responds to fires. Measuring soot and combustion residue left inside a building afterwards is a separate task. Test Australia samples surfaces and reports results against a named criterion, so owners and insurers have measured information.
Can bushfire smoke affect a Hobart home far from the fire?
The Department of Health warns that smoke can harm health even well away from a fire, and advises staying indoors with windows and doors closed when it is smoky. Afterwards, sampling can show whether residue settled on indoor surfaces. Health concerns should go to your doctor.
Is smoke from outside tested differently from a fire inside a Hobart house?
Yes. Smoke that drifted in from a bushfire leaves a different pattern from a heater, chimney or kitchen fire inside the building. The sampling plan reflects which one happened, so tell us when you enquire. Comparison areas help show how far residue travelled through the home.
Has southern Tasmania had major bushfires?
Yes. AIDR records that the Black Tuesday fires of 7 February 1967 killed 62 people in a single day across southern Tasmania. The 2018–19 fires burned more than 200,000 hectares, and thick smoke blanketed Maydena and the Tyenna Valley, and Huon Valley settlements were threatened for several days.
Should strip-out wait until a Hobart fire-damaged home is tested?
If the evidence matters, yes. Residue removed before sampling cannot be measured afterwards. Contact us before strip-out starts so affected and comparison areas can be sampled. Test Australia does not clean or recommend cleaners, so the results stay independent of whoever does the work.
Does a Hobart fire report decide what must be replaced?
No. The report sets out measured results against the criterion it names, along with its method and limits. Decisions about cleaning, replacement and cost belong to the owner, the insurer and their advisers. Whether a tribunal, court or insurer relies on a report is a decision for them.
Who analyses fire residue samples taken in Tasmania?
An independent laboratory. The report names the laboratory and states any accreditation that applies. Test Australia itself is not NATA-accredited. Suitably qualified occupational hygienists collect the wipes and tape lifts in Hobart, and PAH analysis is added where the question needs it and the scope includes it.
How quickly is a Hobart fire damage report issued?
Reports are available within 5 business days of the laboratory results being received. If an insurer or a tenancy deadline is driving the timing, say so when you enquire. The written fee proposal confirms the rooms, comparison areas and analysis before the sampling visit is booked.