2001 Warragamba bushfires

Fires in December, 2001 in New South Wales, Australia October 2020 January 2012 March 2009 The 2001 Warragamba bushfires occurred Christmas Day, 25 December 2001 in the small New South Wales town of Warragamba, leaving 30 homes and businesses destroyed. The bushfires in Warragamba were part of the longest official continuous bushfire emergency in NSW taking place between 21 December 2001 and 13 January 2002 and spreading across the state. Most of these fires were caused by lightning or arsonists. The fire behaviour was unusual in many areas due to extreme dryness of fuel and variable winds. The initial destruction in Warragamba and the Hawkesbury River area prompted a natural disaster declaration by the State Government.http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/00ed8726e14caddfca256d09001da856/b976c92612364519ca256d330005af22?OpenDocument Most Regions, NSW: Bushfires www.ema.gov.au 13 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20071022113655/http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/00ed8726e14caddfca256d09001da856/b976c92612364519ca256d330005af22?OpenDocument 22 October 2007 dead On Christmas Day of 2001 over four thousand firefighters were battling over one hundred blazes across the state. A band of fire running from Campbelltown, New South Wales east to the coast was the firefighters main concern. This was the firefront that caused the damage to Warragamba and neighbouring town Silverdale, New South Wales as the fire sped sixty kilometres in six hours from the Lower Blue Mountains to the coast around Helensburgh, New South Wales.https://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm Wednesday, 26 DEC 2001 Australian Weather News 2001-12-26 1 May 2014 Areas further south, such as the area around St. George's Basin and Jervis Bay were heavily affected by fires caused by stray embers from the main front, with many homes in the area being destroyed. Many local residents of the townships under threat battled the fires with garden hoses, as there were not enough fire-fighters. One resident, Father John Evans battled to save the local parish church, only to see his own house burn down.http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s448524.htm 7.30 Report Bushfire victims devastated by loss Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2001-12-27 1 May 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032558/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s448524.htm 2 May 2014 dead Hundreds of people were forced into an emergency evacuation from Warragamba. The initial loss of electricity affected 4,500 homes in Warragamba and surrounding areas. The local electricity supplier, Integral Energy estimated the cost in the Warragamba and surrounding areas at 3 million dollars.http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s448875.htm May 2014 On 26 December 2001, the day after the fires swept through the town, Prime Minister John Howard visited the town and praised the work of volunteer firefighters. References Category:Arson in Australia 2001 Warragamba Category:2001 wildfires Category:2001 in New South Wales Category:Warragamba, New South Wales Category:2001 disasters in Australia Category:Wildfires caused by arson Category:Arson in 2001