1974–75 Australian bushfire season

none February 2020 February 2020 1974–75 Australian bushfire season 300px|center| The area burnt in the inland fires of 1974-1975 Clode, Danielle, A Future in Flames, Ligature Press, Sydney, 2018, p 95 October 1974February 1975 New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Western Australia Victoria 117 e6ha e6acre off on 57,000 10200 km of fencing 6 The 1974–75 Australian bushfire season is a series of bushfires, also known around the world as wildfires, that burned across Australia. Fires that summer burned up an estimated 117 e6ha e6acre km2 sqmi off on.New South Wales, December 1974 Bushfire - New South Wales https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/bushfire-new-south-wales-1974/ Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience Government of Australia 13 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200113201506/https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/bushfire-new-south-wales-1974/ 13 January 2020 Approximately 15 per cent of Australia's physical land mass sustained extensive fire damage. This equates to roughly around 117 million ha. live Cole, Brendan WHAT CAUSED THE WILDFIRES IN AUSTRALIA? AMID WORST BLAZES FOR A DECADE, 24 PEOPLE ARE CHARGED WITH ARSON https://www.newsweek.com/australia-wildfires-arson-new-south-wales-police-1480733 14 February 2020 Newsweek 7 January 2020 https://archive.today/20200214151857/https://www.newsweek.com/australia-wildfires-arson-new-south-wales-police-1480733 14 February 2020 In 1974, 117 million hectares of land was burnt in wildfires in central Australia. live Approximately 15% of Australia's land mass suffered "extensive fire damage" including parts of New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Statistics The fires killed six people, approximately 57,000 farm animals, farmers' crops, and destroyed nearly 10200 km of fencing.339–345 The Australian Bureau of Statistics attributed the extent of the fires to "exceptionally heavy rainfall in the previous two years".https://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/6C98BB75496A5AD1CA2569DE00267E48 BUSHFIRES – AN INTEGRAL PART OF AUSTRALIA'S ENVIRONMENT 1301.0 – Year Book Australia, 1995 Australian Bureau of Statistics 1 January 1995 Cheney, N. P. 14 January 2020 In 1974-75, lush growth of grasses and forbs following exceptionally heavy rainfall in the previous two years provided continuous fuels through much of central Australia and in this season fires burnt over 117 million hectares or 15 per cent of the total land area of this continent. Stephen J. Pyne qualified the fire season as the most destructive event in terms of hectares burned among historical fires in Australia, but added that "the 1974/75 fires had almost no impact and much of the damage was found by satellite after the fact."https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/how-the-2019-australian-bushfire-season-compares-to-other-fire-disasters/news-story/7924ce9c58b5d2f435d0ed73ffe34174 How this year's fires compare to others 2020-01-06 NewsComAu en 2020-02-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20200204103523/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/how-the-2019-australian-bushfire-season-compares-to-other-fire-disasters/news-story/7924ce9c58b5d2f435d0ed73ffe34174 4 February 2020 Nonetheless, fire historian Danielle Clode notes that these fires remain significant for being the biggest bushfire event by area ever recorded. Clode, Danielle, A Future in Flames, Ligature Press, Sydney, 2018, p 92-94 In 2011, retired Australian government scientist David Packham warned that "we are in for one big season" that could repeat the 1974 summer fires.Summer bushfires risk rivals the 1970s https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-06/bushfires-summer-csiro-warning/3317630 14 February 2020 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 6 October 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20161030155340/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-06/bushfires-summer-csiro-warning/3317630 30 October 2016 Retired CSIRO scientist David Packham says a repeat of the summer of 1974-75 is a strong possibility. "We are in for one big season in these more dry and arid regions, going from sort of the Mallee-type areas of Victoria-South Australia and New South Wales Areas impacted Australia, being a federation of States and territories, breaks up the 1974–1975 fires by state or region: New South Wales Six people killed. Area burned: 3.5 e6ha e6acre off. 50,000 livestock lost, 10170 km of fencing destroyed. Bourke to Balranald, Cobar Shire, Moolah–Corinya—most of the Western Division.341 Lost crops, and widespread damage to infrastructure, including communications, roads and railways.Chang Charis 'Forever fires': How the Australia bush fires compare to other disasters https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12298682 14 February 2020 The New Zealand Herald 7 January 2020 widespread damage to infrastructure, including communications, roads, railways and property fencing. Farmers lost crops and livestock. The Moolah-Corinya fire was "the largest fire ever contained by man in New South Wales without the help of the weather." It burned 1.166 e6ha e6acre off and its perimeter was over 1000 km.Bush Fire Bulletin, Winter/Spring 1975, Official Journal of the Bush Fire Council of New South Wales Bush Fire Council of N.S.W. Sydney 4 https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-286305056/view?partId=nla.obj-286403811 Trove 1975 14 February 2020 Northern Territory Area burned: 45 e6ha e6acre off. The fire reached Barkly Tableland, Victoria River district, near Newcastle Waters.339 Queensland The bushfire season was defined as October 1974 to February 1975. Area burned: 7.3 e6ha e6acre off. 95 cattle, 6,850 sheep lost. Areas damaged: Thargomindah, Bulloo Shire, Boulia Urandangie, McKinlay Shire.340 South Australia Area burned: 15 e6ha e6acre off. The areas affected were the north-west of the state (arid and semi-arid zones), and the Adelaide Hills.344 Western Australia Area burned: 29 e6ha e6acre off of fires, damaging east and north-east of Kalgoorlie.National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management - 2004 Ellis Stuart Kanowski Peter Council of Australian Governments Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia 0-646-43442-X 2004 339–345 14 February 2020 https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=scipapers 13 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200113101517/https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=scipapers University of Wollongong344 References 20em autocollapse Category:Bushfire seasons in Australia Category:1974 in Australia Category:1975 in Australia Category:1970s in New South Wales Category:1970s in Queensland Category:1970s in the Northern Territory Category:1970s in South Australia Category:1970s in Western Australia Category:1970s wildfires Category:1970s fires in Oceania Category:1974 fires Category:1975 fires Bush Bush