Bushfire Disasters in Australia, 1945–1975

SUMMARY

Conflagrations occur whenever there is a favourable combination of fuel, weather and ignition source and may be disastrous when human resources are affected; the role of these factors in past conflagrations is discussed. Some of the most severe fire seasons and the major fires between 1945 and 1975 are discussed briefly with reference to the areas burnt and the losses of life and property.

While past disaster fires have been quite variable a common characteristic is that the period when the fire exhibits violent behaviour and when most damage occurs is relatively short (generally less than 8 hours) although these periods can recur in close succession.

The frequency of large fires has been used to delineate fire-hazardous areas; the frequency ranges from once every 3 years in coastal districts of New South Wales and eastern Victoria to less than once every 30 years in central Australia. Likely changes in the patterns of large fire frequency and in the nature and intensity of disaster fires are discussed. Forest fires are likely to decrease in frequency and intensity but rural fires may become more destructive in the future.