INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRES (21ST CENTURY)

2012

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

INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRES

(Largest Fires of the 21st Century)

Australian Bushfire
Season (2012-13)

(Oura Fire, Wagga Wagga, NSW)

#15

LARGEST FIRE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The Official Story

2012–13 AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE SEASON
(15th Largest Fire of the 21st Century)

The summer of 2012–13 had above average fire potential for most of the southern half of the continent from the east coast to the west. This is despite having extensive fire in parts of the country over the last 12 months. The reason for this prediction is the abundant grass growth spurred by two La Niña events over the last two years.

Most parts of the country experienced a heat wave at the start of 2013, with a new national average maximum being set on 7 January 2013. The new record of 40.33 °C (105 °F) beat the old record of 40.17 °C (104 °F) that had been set on 21 December 1972. Another record that was beaten in 2013 was Australia’s mean temperature, climbing from 31.86 °C (89 °F) set on 21 December 1972 to 32.23 °C (90 °F) on 7 January 2013.

Additionally, six of the 20 hottest days in Australian records (by average maximum) have been in January 2013.

Australia also experienced its hottest summer on average following a particularly hot spell in January. Using average day and night temperatures the average was found to be 28.6 °C (83 °F) beating the previous record set in the summer of 1997–1988. Fourteen of the weather bureau’s 112 long term weather stations recorded their hottest days on record including one in Sydney that recorded a daytime record of 46 °C (115 °F). The daytime maximum temperatures for 2012–13 also beat the 1982–83 record. Irrespective, the month of January remained the hottest month since records began in 1910.

New South Wales (January)

During the first week of January, several dozen fires were ignited across southern regions of the state by lightning strikes; the Greater Hume, Hilltops, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Wagga Wagga local government areas were affected.

On 6 January, a fire was reported to have ignited along Mount Forrest Rd., Cooma, following lightning activity in the region. The fire made a significant run under the influence of westerly winds gusting at up to 120 km/h (75 mph) on 8 January. During a 13-day period, the fire burned 12,335 ha (30,480 acres) of scrub, forest and pasture in and around the Kybeyan State Conservation Area and impacted on properties within the Kybeyan Valley; 4 houses, 18 vehicles and 200 km (120 mi) of fencing were destroyed and 2,000 head of livestock died.

On 7 January, a fast moving grass fire ignited near the village of Oura. 140 volunteers from the RFS, six aircraft—including an Erickson Air- Crane—and four heavy plant equipment were used to try to contain the fire. Approximately 800 ha (2,000 acres) of scrub, forest and pasture were burned, one vehicle was destroyed and a firefighter suffered minor injuries after being over-run by the fire in a firefighting tanker.

On 8 January, a fire ignited around Bald Hill, approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Jugiong, during temperatures of 42 °C (108 °F) and winds gusting to 80 km/h (50 mph). During a four-day, period, the fire burned 14,260 ha (35,200 acres) of scrub, forest and pasture and impacted on the communities of Berremangra, Bookham, Childowla, Talmo and Woolgarlo; although no houses were destroyed, a number of sheds and 1,200 km (750 mi) of fencing were destroyed and 10,200 head of livestock died.

On 12 January, a fire ignited near the Wambelong campground, on the north side of the John Renshaw Parkway and within the Warrumbungle National Park, during temperatures of up to 40.8 °C (105.4 °F). Steep, inaccessible terrain on the eastern and western flanks meant that the fire could not be contained or controlled on the first afternoon, despite the intervention of two fixed-wing firefighting aircraft, and the fire grew to 25 ha (62 acres) by the morning of 13 January. Catastrophic conditions were forecast for the Coonabarabran region throughout 13 January; the weather prediction across the fireground at 10:10 AEDT was for temperatures to be up to 45 °C (113 °F), relative humidity at 10% with winds to be north to north-westerly at 50 km/h (31 mph) gusting to 80 km/h (50 mph). At Coonabarabran Research Station, some 20 km (12 mi) from the point of ignition, a relative humidity of 28% was observed at 15:00 AEDT, and a “fresh gale” strength wind gust of 65 km/h (40 mph) from the north was recorded at 12:13 AEDT.

In the hours after midday the fire spotted across John Renshaw Parkway and breached the containment line, burning with flames of up to 33 m (108 ft) and impacting upon the Warrumbungle Visitors Centre, where a number of RFS and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) employees were sheltering. By mid-afternoon, the fire was spreading downwind at a rate of 3.7 km/h (2.3 mph) and the NSW Police commenced evacuations to the east of the fire, including at Siding Spring Observatory. The observatory was impacted by the fire in the late afternoon, causing the destruction of three buildings in the complex; ‘The Lodge’ accommodation used by visiting researchers, the Director’s Cottage and the Fire Station. Throughout the evening a 14 km (8.7 mi) high pyrocumulonimbus cloud formed above the blaze, creating unpredictable winds, intense spotting and other extreme meteorological conditions; the fire burned to the east, along Timor Rd., burning to within 13 km (8.1 mi) of Coonabarabran township. A southerly wind change passed through the fire ground some time after 18:00 AEDT, causing hot ash and embers to fall in Baradine, 50 km (31 mi) north of Coonabarabran, throughout the night and prompting the Baradine local hospital to secure the windows with damp towels to prevent the entry of smoke and ash.

Over a 41-day period, the fire burned 55,210 ha (136,400 acres) of pasture, scrub and forest—including 95 percent of the Warrumbungles National Park—and impacted the communities of Bugaldie, Coonabarabran, Goorianawa, Quanda, Tonderburine and Warrumbungle; a hotel, three buildings at the Siding Spring Observatory, 53 houses, 130 other non-residential structures and 1,700 km (1,100 mi) of fencing were destroyed and 1,100 head of livestock died in the fire.

Source: Wikipedia

2012–13 Australian Bushfire Season Statistics

Dates(s):	Late winter (August) 2012 – Autumn (May) 2013
Burned Area:	>914,760 ha (2,260,400 acres)
Buildings Destroyed:	640+ total (310 houses & 330+ non-residential structures)
Deaths:	4
Non-fatal injuries:	11