INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRES (21ST CENTURY)

2011

ECOCIDE
noun
destruction of the natural environment,
especially when deliberate.

INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRES

(Largest Fires of the 21st Century)

Australian Bushfire
Season (2011-12)

(NASA MODIS Burned Area Detections)

#10

LARGEST FIRE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The Official Story

2011–12 AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE SEASON
(10th Largest Fire of the 21st Century)

Bushfires were mostly active between September 2011 to March 2012 and caused most damage in the state of Western Australia, particularly in the South West. The state had been prepared and had expected an increased risk of bushfire following heavy spring rains as a result of a La Nina weather pattern.

December

WA

The Denmark fire was contained but warnings remained by 1 December, a total of 5,600 hectares (14,000 acres) were lost. The Nannup fire continued to burn and was not contained until 3 December, by 2 December it had claimed some 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres), it had started as a prescribed burn but had raged out of control. Once finally extinguished it had burnt out about 55,100 hectares (136,000 acres) of land.

A large fire in the Pilbara region had burned out over 1,500 square kilometres (579 sq mi) of bushland and rangeland by 26 December. A large portion of Giralia Station was burnt out with the firecoming close to the homestead before being extinguished. Yanrey and Koordarrie Stations were also threatened by the blaze.

January

QLD

Moreton Island suffered a grass fire that burnt out 160 hectares (400 acres) of the island vegetation and came within 500 metres (1,600 ft) of the small community of Cowan which was protected by backburning. The fire started on 4 January and was expected to burn for weeks.

SA

A fire that started 4 January and burnt for three days burnt 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of pastoral lands, damaging stock in an area approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south east of Port Augusta.

VIC

A fire broke out in the Grampians on 4 January and was thought to have been started by lightning. 150 fire-fighters battled the blaze along with water bombing aircraft. Over 230 hectares (570 acres) of bushland was burnt in the blaze.

WA

A fire that started in late December in the Yalgoo Shire was mostly contained by 5 January after burning out an area of 18,500 hectares (46,000 acres) of bushland. More fires were also ignited in the Kearney State forest, near Nannup, resulting from lightning strikes.

A large fire in the Gascoyne burnt out approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) of grazing and bushland. It spread over a distance of 45 kilometres (28 mi), leading to the temporary closure of the North West Coastal Highway and other roads around Kennedy Range National Park. The fire burnt for a week after a smaller fire escaped containment lines on 8 January, burning out over 3,300 square kilometres (1,300 sq mi) by 15 January and then continuing to burn until 30 January.

Other fires that broke out late in January in Wooroloo and Chittering were both under control by 30 January.

February

WA

The town of Northcliffe was menaced by a bushfire that came within 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) of the townsite on 22 February. Smoke haze from the fire effected the south west coast of the state. The fire had been ignited by lightning on 8 February and had burnt out over 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) 14 February and was expected to burn over 30,600 hectares (76,000 acres) before being contained.

Source: Wikipedia

2011–12 Australian Bushfire Season Statistics

Dates(s):	Winter (June) 2011 – Autumn (May) 2012
Burned Area:	>14,076 square kilometres (5,435 sq mi)
Buildings Destroyed:	39 lost, at least 20 damaged
Deaths:	0
Non-fatal injuries:	4