Bushfires in Australia

"Bushfire" redirects here. For general information on uncontrolled fires in non-urban areas, see Wildfire.

Looking towards the town Swifts Creek, Victoria, in December 2006 during the Victorian Alpine Fires

Intense bushfires can seriously impact the environment, such as here by the Big River, near Anglers Rest, East Gippsland, after the 2003 Victorian fires

Bushfires in Australia are frequently occurring events during the hotter months of the year due to Australia's mostly hot, dry climate. Large areas of land are ravaged every year by bushfires, which also cause property damage and loss of life.

Certain native flora in Australia have evolved to rely on bushfires as a means of reproduction and fire events are an interwoven and an essential part of the ecology of the continent. In some eucalypt and banksia species, for example, fire causes seed pods to open, which allows them to germinate^{[citation needed]}. Fire also encourages the growth of new grassland plants. Other species have adapted to recover quickly from fire.

For many thousands of years, Indigenous Australians people have used fire for a variety of purposes. These included the encouragement of grasslands for hunting purposes and the clearing of tracks through dense vegetation.

Major firestorms that result in severe loss of life are often named based on the day on which they occur, such as Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday. Some of the most intense, extensive and deadly bushfires commonly occur during droughts and heat waves, such as the 2009 Southern Australia heat wave, which precipitated the conditions during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in which 173 people lost their lives.

Definition

Bushfires in Australia, are generally defined as any uncontrolled, non-structural fire burning in a grass, scrub, bush or forested area. Australia, being a geographically and meteorogically diverse continent, experiences many types of bushfires. Fires can be divided into two main categories, depending on topography of the area.

• Hilly/mountainous fires - Burn in hilly, mountainous or alpine areas which are usually densely forested. The land is less accessible and not conducive to agriculture, thus many of these densely forested areas have been saved from deforestation and are protected by national, state and other parks. The steep terrain increases the speed and intensity of a firestorm. Where settlements are located in hilly or mountainous areas, bushfires can pose a threat to both life and property.

• Flat/grassland fires - Burn along flat plains or areas of small undulation, predominantly covered in grasses or scrubland. These fires can move quickly, fanned by high winds in flat topography, they quickly consume the small amounts of fuel/vegetation available. These fires pose less of a threat to settlements as they rarely reach the same intensity seen in major firestorms as the land is flat, the fires are easier to map and predict and the terrain is more accessible for firefighting personnel. Many regions of predominantly flat terrain in Australia have been almost completely deforested for agriculture, reducing the fuel loads in these areas.

Common causes of bushfires include lightning, arson, accidental ignition from agricultural clearing, campfires, cigarettes and dropped matches, machinery, and controlled burn escapes.

Looking towards Dargo, Victoria from Swifts Creek, 11 January 2007

History

Epicormic shoots sprouting vigorously from epicormic buds beneath the thick bushfire damaged bark of a Eucalyptus tree – one of the strategies evolved by plants to survive bushfires

Bushfire damage to forests in East Gippsland, Victoria from the Bogong Fire Complex of 2003, two years after fires swept through the area, showing the recovery of trees and undercroft

The natural fire regime in Australia was altered by the arrival of humans.^{[citation needed]} Fires became more frequent, and fire-loving species—notably eucalypts—greatly expanded their range. It is assumed that a good deal of this change came about as the result of deliberate action by early humans, setting fires to clear undergrowth or drive game.

Plants have evolved a variety of strategies to survive (or even require) bushfires, (possessing epicormic shoots or lignotubers that sprout after a fire, or developing fire-resistant or fire-triggered seeds) or even encourage fire (eucalypts contain flammable oils in the leaves) as a way to eliminate competition from less fire-tolerant species.

Some native animals are also adept at surviving bushfires.^{[citation needed]}

Warnings

In 2009, a standardised Fire Danger Rating (FDR) was adopted by all Australian states. During the fire season the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) provides fire weather forecasts and by considering the predicted weather including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and dryness of vegetation, fire agencies determine the appropriate Fire Danger Rating. In 2010, following a national review of the bush fire danger ratings, new trigger points for each rating were introduced for grassland areas in most jurisdictions. See for example the following glossary

Fire Danger Ratings are a feature of weather forecasts and alert the community to the actions they should take in preparation of the day. Ratings are broadcast via newspapers, radio, TV and on websites.

Fire Danger Rating

Category	Fire Danger Index
Catastrophic / Code Red	Forest 100+ Grass 150+
Extreme	Forest 75 – 100 Grass 100-150
Severe	Forest 50 – 75 Grass 50 - 100
Very high	25 - 50
High	12 – 25
Low to moderate	0 - 12

Regional management

The Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) is the peak body responsible for representing fire, emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region.

New South Wales

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the Government of New South Wales.

South Australia

The Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia.

Victoria

Major bushfires in Victoria in the 2000s

Main article: Bushfires in Victoria

In Victoria, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) provides firefighting and other emergency services to country areas and regional townships within the state, as well as large portions of the outer suburban areas and growth corridors of Melbourne not covered by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

Western Australia

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) have joint responsibility for bushfire management in Western Australia. FESA is an umbrella organisation supporting the Bush Fire Service, Emergency Services Cadets, Fire and Rescue Service, State Emergency Service, Volunteer Emergency Service, Volunteer Fire Service, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service and the Volunteer Marine Rescue Services.

Seasonality

Bushfires in Australia can occur all year-round, however the severity and the "bushfire season" varies by region. These seasons are commonly grouped into years such as "2006-07 Australian bushfire season" and typically run from June one year until May the next year.

In south east Australia, bushfires tend to be most common and most severe during summer and autumn (December–March), in drought years, and particularly severe in El Niño years. Southeast Australia is fire prone, and warm and dry conditions intensify the probability of fire. In the north of Australia, bushfires usually occur during the dry season (April to September), and fire severity tends to be more associated with seasonal weather patterns. In the southwest, similarly, bushfires occur in the summer dry season and severity is usually related to seasonal growth. Fire frequency in the north is difficult to assess, as the vast majority of fires are caused by human activity, however lightning strikes are as common a cause as human ignited fires and arson.

Major bushfires in Australia

Bushfires have accounted for over 800 deaths in Australia since 1851 and the total accumulated cost is estimated at $1.6 billion. In terms of monetary cost however, they rate behind the damage caused by drought, severe storms, hail, and cyclones, perhaps because they most commonly occur outside highly populated urban areas.

Some of the most severe Australian bushfires, in chronological order, have included:

Fire	Location	Area burned	Date	Deaths	Properties damaged
Black Thursday bushfires	Victoria, Australia	approximately 5 million ha	6 February 1851	about 12	1 million sheep; thousands of cattle
Red Tuesday bushfires	Victoria	260,000 ha	1 February 1898	12	2,000 buildings
1926 bushfires	Victoria		February – March 1926	60	1000
Black Friday bushfires	Victoria	2,000,000 ha	December 1938 – January 1939, peaking 13 January 1939	71	3,700
1944 Bushfires	Victoria	estimated 1 million ha	14 January – 14 February 1944	15–20	more than 500 houses
1951-2 Bushfires	Victoria		Summer 1951–52	at least 10
Black Sunday Bushfires	South Australia		2 January 1955	2
1961 Western Australian bushfires	Western Australia	1,800,000 ha	January–March 1961	0	160 homes
1962 bushfires	Victoria		14–16 January 1962	32	450 houses
Southern Highlands bushfires	New South Wales		5–14 March 1965	3	59 homes
Tasmanian "Black Tuesday" bushfires	Tasmania	Approximately 264,000 ha	1967	62	1,293 homes
Dandenong Ranges Bushfire	Victoria	1,920 ha	19 February 1968		53 homes 10 other buildings
1969 bushfires	Victoria		8 January 1969	23	230 houses
Western Districts Bushfires	Victoria	103,000 ha	12 February 1977	4	116 houses 340 Buildings
1978 Western Australian Bushfires	Western Australia	114,000 ha	4 April 1978	2	6 buildings (drop in wind in early evening is said to have saved the towns of Donnybrook, Boyup Brook, Manjimup and Bridgetown.)
Northern Sydney bushfires	Sydney, NSW		1979
Ash Wednesday bushfires	South Australia and Victoria	418,000 ha	16 February 1983	75	about 2,400 houses
Central Victoria Bushfires	Victoria	50,800 ha	14 January 1985	3	180+ houses
1994 Eastern seaboard fires	New South Wales		27 December 1993 – 16 January 1994	4	225 homes
Wooroloo Bushfire	Western Australia	10,500 ha	8 January 1997	0	16 homes
Dandenongs bushfire	Victoria	400	21 January 1997	3	41 homes
Lithgow bushfire	New South Wales		2 December 1997	2
Perth and SW Region bushfires	West Australia	23,000 ha	2 December 1997	2 (21 injuries)	1 home lost
Linton bushfire	Victoria		1998	5
Black Christmas (bushfires)	New South Wales	740,000 acres (3,000 km²)	2001–02	0	121 homes
2003 Canberra bushfires	Canberra, Australian Capital Territory		2003	4	almost 500 homes
2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires	Victoria	over 1.3 million ha	8 January – 8 March 2003		41 homes
Tenterden	Western Australia		December 2003	2	(2,110,000 ha of forest burnt during the 2002-2003 bushfire season in the S/W of WA)
Eyre Peninsula bushfire	South Australia	145,000 ha	2005	9	93 homes
2006 Central Coast bushfire	Central Coast, New South Wales		New Years Day, 2006
Jail Break Inn Fire	Junee, New South Wales	30,000 ha	New Years Day 2006	0	Livestock losses estimated to be over 20,000. Seven homes, seven headers and four shearing sheds destroyed. 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) of fencing damaged.
2005 Victorian bushires	Victoria	160,000 ha	December 2005 – January 2006	4	57 houses, 359 farm buildings, 65,000 stock losses, fires occurred in the Stawell, Moondarra, Anakie, Yea and Kinglake regions
Grampians Bushfire	Victoria	184,000	January 2006	2
Pulletop bushfire	Wagga Wagga, New South Wales	9,000	6 February 2006	0	2,500 sheep and 6 cattle killed, 3 vehicles and 2 hay sheds destroyed as well as 50 km of fencing.
The Great Divides Fire	Victoria	1,048,000 ha	1 Dec 2006 - March 2007	1	51 homes
2006-07 Australian bushfire season			September 2006 – January 2007
Dwellingup bushfire	Western Australia	12,000 ha	4 February 2007	0	16
Kangaroo Island Bushfires	South Australia	95,000 ha	6–14 December 2007	1
Boorabbin National Park	Western Australia	40,000 ha	30 December 2007	3	Powerlines and Great Eastern Highway, forced to close for 2 weeks
Black Saturday bushfires	Victoria	450,000+ ha	7 February 2009 – 14 March 2009	173	2,029+ houses, 2,000 other structures
Toodyay Bushfire	Western Australia	3,000+ ha	29 December 2009	0	38
Lake Clifton Bushfire	Western Australia	2,000+ ha	11 January 2011	0	10 homes destroyed
Roleystone Kelmscott Bushfire	Western Australia	1500+ ha	6-8 February 2011	0	72 homes destroyed, 32 damaged, Buckingham Bridge on Brookton Highway collapsed and closed for 3 weeks whilst a temporary bridge was constructed and opened a month after the fires
Margaret River Bushfire	Western Australia	4000 ha	24 November 2011	0	31 homes destroyed including the historic Wallcliffe House

See also

• Wildfire
• McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index

External links

• "Bushfires overview". CSIRO. http://www.csiro.au/science/Bushfires.html. 
• "Australian fire risk and season maps". Romsey Australia. http://home.iprimus.com.au/foo7/firesum.html.