The 2019-2020 summer bushfire season started early and started strong. Here’s a snapshot of some of the major events so far.
26 October 2019
Lightning bolt starts a mega fire in Gospers Mountain, NSW. It became the epicentre of the biggest forest fire to have started from a single ignition point that Australia has ever known, with 444,000 ha destroyed. A bushfire in Port Macquarie, NSW, starts due to dry electrical storm.
28 October 2019
Fire near Cattai, NSW, claims a life and burns 12,000 ha.
12 November 2019
Fire in Lane Cove National Park, NSW. A C-130 Air Tanker made several fire retardant drops, saving the suburb.
13 November 2019
Water bombing helicopter crashes while fighting the blazes in Pechey, QLD. While the Bell 214 helicopter was completely destroyed, the pilot walked away with minor injuries.
20 November 2019
Fire breaks out in Yorke Peninsula, SA. It threatened the towns of Yorketown and Edithburgh. It destroyed at least 11 homes and was believed to have started from a sparking electrical transformer. It burnt about 5000 hectares of land.
14-15 December 2019
Fire moves to Southern Highlands, NSW. Firetrucks overrun by fire, and two firefighters killed.
15 December 2019
Backburn in Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine, NSW, grows out of control, engulfs 350,000 ha.
26 December 2019
Lightning sparks fire in the Sterling Ranges, WA, tearing through more than 40,000 of parkland.
30 December 2019
Three active fires in East Gippsland, VIC, affecting more than 130,000.
31 December 2019
Currowan, Charleys Forest and Clyde Mountain, NSW, fires have joined, forming a large fire that has burnt through more than 257,000 ha.
02 January 2020
Fires spread and engulf the East Gippsland, VIC and surrounds destroying 780 ha. The Currowan fire, along the NSW South Coast, burns more than 258,000 ha
03 January 2020
Devastating fire on Kangaroo Island, SA, burning 170,000 ha. This represents a third of the island. Australian Navy evacuates Mallacoota, VIC, as bushfires hit the town
04 January 2020
Penrith, NSW, records temperatures of 48.9°C — making it the hottest place on Earth at the time.
05 January 2020
Fire from South Eastern Victoria spreads to Bega Valley Shire, NSW, burns more than 60,000 ha.
05-06 January 2020
Canberra records the worst air quality index causing public buildings, government offices and businesses to shut.
06 January 2020
The Federal Government commits $2 billion to a national bushfire recovery fund. Victoria's Premier announces that bushfires had burnt through 1.2 million ha and 200 homes have been lost.
14 January 2020
With fires raging across NSW and temperatures reaching 49°C — Premier declares a state of emergency.
20 January 2020
Fire that's more than 332,100 ha in size continues to burn in Snowy Mountains area, NSW.
21 January 2020
So far, the fires are estimated to have contributed to the deaths of about 30 people and 500 million animals, and almost $1 billion in damages.
23 January 2020
Three American firefighters die after their Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane crashed while battling bushfires in southern NSW. This brings the total number if firefighter deaths this bushfire season to eight.
We will continue to update this timeline as events unfold.
If you’d like to donate to bushfire recovery, click the button below to see a list of charities and agencies helping with relief efforts.