2016–17 Australian bushfire season

NASA MODIS burned area detections from June 2016 to May 2017
Date(s)June 2016 – June 2017
LocationAustralia

The summer of 2016–17 saw a very wet start with the fifth-wettest December[1] on record being 76 percent above the average rainfall for the month across much of the country. This caused a significant surge in vegetation growth leading into the fire danger period.

Significant fires

State Start date Deaths Injuries Res. houses lost Other structures lost Area (ha) Local govt. Impacted communities Duration Ref.
NSW 11 February 2017 35 52,000+ ha Warrumbungle Uarbry 3 days [2]
NSW 17 February 2017 0 0 11 destroyed; 12 damaged. 3,500 ha Carwoola, Captains Flat 2 days [3]
WA 26 January 2017 0 0 0 2 Capel Gwindinup Argyle
WA 21 December 2016 2,000 ha Gingin Dandaragen Mimegarra

Cataby

Regans Ford

Red Gully

NSW 6,500 Port Stephens Port Stephens [4]
VIC 5 Jan 2017 150 Kellalac [5]
VIC 24 Dec 2016 150 Bridgewater
ACT 24 Jan 2017 2,450 Tarago [6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Australia in December 2016". www.bom.gov.au. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  2. ^ "35 homes razed in NSW blazes: RFS". SBS News. SBS. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  3. ^ Le Lievre, Kimberley; Groch, Sherryn; Brown, Andrew (18 February 2017). "Police investigate blaze near Queanbeyan as fire crews battle on". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Crews battle bushfires at Hunter's Port Stephens, Cessnock". ABC New. 2016-11-06. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  5. ^ Media, CFA. "Grassfire in Kellalac - CFA". CFA. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  6. ^ Cootes, Georgina Mitchell, Charli Shield, Isobel (2017-01-29). "One home destroyed in Currandooley bushfire". The Wimmera Mail-Times. Retrieved 2017-01-29.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)