Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia has been prone to extensive wildfires, with the 2019-2020 season being particularly destructive. The fires burnt through more land than any other blazes in the past 25 years, with New South Wales experiencing the worst bushfire season on record. The Gospers Mountain fire became the biggest forest fire in Australian history, burning over 500,000 hectares. The scale of the wildfires was immense, with approximately 18.6 million hectares burned or currently burning, destroying over 5,900 buildings and taking the lives of at least 34 people. The bushfires in Australia's north in 2023 have also burned a significant area, larger than many countries, including Spain. The causes of these wildfires are multifaceted, including factors such as drought, extreme heat, invasive grasses, and land management practices.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | June 2019-January 2020 |
| Location | New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia |
| Cause | Lightning strike, landing light on a Defence helicopter |
| Area burned | 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres; 186,000 square kilometres; 72,000 square miles) |
| Number of buildings destroyed | 5,900+ (including 2,779 homes) |
| Number of deaths | 34+ humans, 1 billion+ animals |
| Cost | $4.4 billion+ |
| Comparison to other fires | 80 times larger than the 2019 California wildfires, 5,000 square miles larger than the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires |
| Comparison to previous Australian fires | 57% fewer acres burned in 2019 than the average from 2000-2010 |
| Other impacts | Air quality dropped to hazardous levels, smoke travelled 11,000 kilometres to Chile and Argentina |
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What You'll Learn
- The 2019-2020 wildfire season in southeast Australia was the worst on record
- The Gospers Mountain fire was the biggest forest fire in Australian history
- Aboriginal land management practices help prevent wildfires
- The Australian Fire Danger Rating System was adopted in September 2022
- The 2019-2020 wildfires in Australia were larger than the 2018 California wildfires
The 2019-2020 wildfire season in southeast Australia was the worst on record
The fires started in June 2019 and were fuelled by drought and extreme heat. By January 2020, the blazes had burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres), destroyed over 5,900 buildings, and killed at least 34 people. The cost of dealing with the bushfires was expected to exceed $4.4 billion. An estimated one billion animals were killed, and some endangered species may have been driven to extinction.
The Gospers Mountain fire, which began on October 26, 2019, became the biggest forest fire in Australian history, burning over 500,000 hectares (1,200,000 acres) by December 27, 2019. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service reported the fire as contained on January 12, 2020.
The bushfires also had a significant impact on air quality, with smoke spreading across the South Pacific Ocean to Chile and Argentina by January 2020. NASA estimated that 306 million tonnes of carbon dioxide had been emitted by the fires as of January 2, 2020. The increase in extremely hot days and the ongoing drought in eastern Australia contributed to the fire danger.
The 2019-2020 wildfire season in southeast Australia was unprecedented in its scale and impact, with serious consequences for the environment, human lives, and the economy.
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The Gospers Mountain fire was the biggest forest fire in Australian history
On November 12, 2019, a catastrophic fire warning was issued for Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, and other parts of the state. It was the first time this rating had been used. By that morning, the Gospers Mountain fire had doubled in size again to almost 25,000 hectares, threatening homes in the small, isolated village of Mellong. Driven by strong winds, the fire covered 11.7 km in under three hours.
The Gospers Mountain fire was so large that it earned the nickname "the monster" by those living in its shadow. It combined with several fires to form a vast complex that was dubbed
The fire was finally contained on January 12, 2020, but it was only fully extinguished by flooding on February 10. The Gospers Mountain fire was a devastating event in Australian history, and its impact will not be forgotten. It was a challenging and exhausting battle for the thousands of firefighters who fought bravely to contain and extinguish the blaze.
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Aboriginal land management practices help prevent wildfires
Australia has been affected by large-scale wildfires in recent years, with the 2019-2020 bushfire season being particularly destructive. During this period, an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres) were burned, over 5,900 buildings were destroyed, and at least 34 people lost their lives. The cost of dealing with these fires is expected to exceed $4.4 billion.
Aboriginal land management practices, including the use of "cool" fires during the early dry season, have proven effective in preventing destructive wildfires. By burning patch by patch in targeted areas, Aboriginal groups reduce the undergrowth that fuels larger blazes. This practice, known as "cultural burning" or "good fire", has been employed by Indigenous communities for thousands of years to promote biodiversity and regenerate native flora.
In northern Australia, defensive burning programs on Aboriginal lands have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of acres burned by bushfires. Between 2000 and 2010, an average of 57% more acres were affected by fires compared to the decade after these defensive burning programs began.
The disruption of traditional burning practices and the introduction of unrestrained logging by European settlers have been cited as factors contributing to the increased vulnerability of certain regions to extensive wildfires. Australian National University professor Bill Gammage, an expert in traditional Aboriginal burning, advocates for the adoption of Indigenous fire management practices across the country.
Today, various groups in Australia, including Local Land Management and the Aboriginal Land Management Councils, are working to encourage collaboration between farmers and Indigenous people. By integrating Indigenous knowledge with modern land management practices, these groups aim to enhance ecological and community resilience and better protect Australia's unique landscapes from the threat of wildfires.
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The Australian Fire Danger Rating System was adopted in September 2022
Australia is a continent prone to bushfires, which can have devastating consequences for human life, wildlife, and property. In recognition of this, the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) was adopted in September 2022. This system replaced the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index, aiming to provide an efficient and accessible means of communicating fire danger to the community.
The AFDRS is a simplified tool that offers a daily forecast of how dangerous a bushfire would be if it were to occur and the necessary actions to take. It is important to note that the system does not predict the likelihood of a bushfire but serves as an early warning indicator. The higher the fire danger rating, the more dangerous the conditions and the greater the potential impact. The system is broken down into four levels: Moderate, High, Extreme, and Catastrophic.
The fire danger ratings are determined by the Bureau of Meteorology and are based on scientific improvements in predicting areas of greater risk. The ratings consider factors such as the season, bushfire fuels, and weather conditions. This allows for nationally consistent colours, signs, and terminology across Australia. By standardising these indicators, individuals can understand the level of threat and take appropriate actions regardless of their location within the country.
The AFDRS provides crucial information to the public, empowering them to make informed decisions to protect themselves and their properties. It also assists emergency services in their decision-making and risk management processes. Additionally, remote monitoring of wildfires is conducted in Australia through the Sentinel bushfire monitoring system, utilising satellite data to aid firefighting agencies.
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The 2019-2020 wildfires in Australia were larger than the 2018 California wildfires
The 2019-2020 wildfires in Australia were significantly larger than the 2018 California wildfires. The Australian wildfires burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres) and destroyed over 5,900 buildings, including 2,779 homes. The fires also killed at least 34 people and an estimated one billion animals, threatening some species with extinction. The cost of dealing with these fires is expected to exceed $4.4 billion.
The New South Wales (NSW) fires alone burnt through more land than any other blazes in the past 25 years, becoming the state's worst bushfire season on record. The Gospers Mountain fire, which started in October 2019, became the biggest forest fire in Australian history, burning over 500,000 hectares. NSW also experienced the longest continuously burning bushfire complex in the country's history, with flames reaching up to 70 meters (230 ft) high.
In comparison, the 2018 California wildfires consumed 800,000 hectares (2,000,000 acres) of land. The Australian wildfires were so extensive that, by January 7, 2020, they had burned an area 80 times larger than the total area affected by the 2019 California wildfires.
The Australian wildfires were fuelled by drought and extreme heat, with multiple states of emergency declared across New South Wales and Victoria. The Australian Defence Force provided air support, manpower, and logistical assistance, and international help was received from countries including New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, and the United States.
The impact of the 2019-2020 Australian wildfires extended beyond the immediate destruction caused by the fires. The smoke travelled approximately 11,000 kilometres across the South Pacific Ocean, affecting the air quality in Chile and Argentina. The economic impact was also significant, with losses in insured claims estimated at $1.9 billion, and the overall economic impact expected to surpass the $4.4 billion in losses from the infamous Black Saturday fires. The fishing and tourism industries were particularly hard hit, with tourism sector revenues falling by more than $1 billion.
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Frequently asked questions
The wildfires in Australia during the 2019-2020 season burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres) and destroyed over 5,900 buildings. The fires were the worst on record in the state of New South Wales, burning through more than 4 million hectares.
The 2019-2020 wildfires were more destructive than the 2018 California wildfires, which consumed 2 million acres, and the 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires, which burned 2.2 million acres. The 1974 bushfires in Australia were much larger, consuming 290 million acres, but they were less intense and in a more remote location.
The 2019-2020 Australian wildfires were significantly larger than the 2018 California wildfires, which were around 80 times smaller in size. The 2019-2020 fires also emitted more than twice the amount of carbon dioxide compared to the 2019 Amazon fires.
The size of the 2019-2020 wildfires was influenced by drought and extreme heat, as well as the accumulation of fuel load due to heavy rain in the preceding La Niña years. Human factors, such as fire suppression practices and unrestrained logging, have also been identified as contributing to the extent of the wildfires.
