# List of major bushfires in Australia

This is a list of major bushfires in Australia. The list contains individual bushfires and bushfire seasons that have resulted in fatalities, or bushfires that have burned in excess of 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres), or was significant for its damage to particular Australian landmarks.
As of 2010, Australian bushfires accounted for over 800 deaths since 1851 and, in 2012, the total accumulated cost was estimated to be A$1.6 billion. In terms of monetary cost however, bushfires have not cost as much in financial terms as the damage caused by drought, severe storms, hail, and cyclones, perhaps because they most commonly occur outside highly populated urban areas.
Of all the recorded fires in Australia, the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in the state of Victoria claimed the largest number of recorded deaths of any individual Australian bushfire or bushfires season – 173 fatalities over 21 days. The largest known area burnt was between 100–117 million hectares (250–290 million acres), impacting approximately 15 per cent of Australia's physical land mass, during the 1974–75 Australian bushfire season. The highest number of homes destroyed was approximately 3,700 dwellings, attributed to Victoria's 1939 Black Friday bushfires.
The fires of the summer of 2019–2020 affected densely populated areas including holiday destinations resulting in the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, to claim it was "absolutely" the worst bushfire season on record [in that state]. Australian National University described the 2019 fire year as "close to average" and the 2020 fire year as "unusually small".
Some of the most severe Australian bushfires (single fires and fire seasons) have included:

## List

| Date | Name or description | State(s) / territories | Area burned (approx.) | Area burned (approx.) | Fatalities | Properties damaged | Properties damaged | Properties damaged | Notes |
| Date | Name or description | State(s) / territories | ha | acres | Fatalities | Homes (destroyed) | Other buildings | Other damage | Notes |
| 6 February 1851 | Black Thursday bushfires | Victoria | 5,000,000 | 12,000,000 | approx. 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 million sheepthousands of cattle | |
| 9 September 1895 | Upper Blue Mountains fires | New South Wales | 150 | 370 | 0 | 24 | Sheds | Main Western Railway Line at Mount Victoria | |
| 1 February 1898 | Red Tuesday bushfires | Victoria | 260,000 | 640,000 | 12 | 0 | 2,000 | | |
| February – March 1926 | 1926 bushfires | Victoria | 390,000 | 960,000 | 60 | 1,000 | 0 | | |
| 13 January 1939 | Black Friday bushfires | Victoria | 2,000,000 | 4,900,000 | 71 | 3,700 | 0 | | |
| 14 January – 14 February 1944 | 1944 Victorian bushfires | Victoria | 1,000,000 | 2,500,000 | 15–20 | approx. 500 | 0 | | |
| 18 November 1944 | 1944 Blue Mountains bushfire | New South Wales | | | 0 | approx. 40 | 0 | | |
| November 1951 – January 1952 | 1951–52 bushfires | Victoria | 4,000,000 | 9,900,000 | 11 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 2 January 1955 | Black Sunday bushfires | South Australia | 39,000–160,000 | 96,000–395,000 | 2 | 40 | 0 | | |
| 30 November 1957 | 1957 Grose Valley bushfire, Blue Mountains | New South Wales | | | 4 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 2 December 1957 | 1957 Leura bushfire, Blue Mountains | New South Wales | | | 0 | 170 | 0 | | |
| January – March 1961 | 1961 Western Australian bushfires | Western Australia | 1,800,000 | 4,400,000 | 0 | 160 | 0 | | |
| 14 – 16 January 1962 | 1962 Victorian bushfires | Victoria | | | 32 | 450 | 0 | | |
| 16 February – 13 March 1965 | 1965 Gippsland bushfires | Victoria | 315,000 | 780,000 | 0 | more than 20 | 60 | 4,000 livestock | |
| 5 – 14 March 1965 | Southern Highlands bushfires | New South Wales | 251,000 | 620,000 | 3 | 59 | 0 | | |
| 7 February 1967 | Black Tuesday bushfires | Tasmania | 264,000 | 650,000 | 64 | 1,293 | 0 | | |
| 1968 – 69 | 1968-69 Killarney Top Springs bushfires | Northern Territory | 40,000,000 | 99,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 29 November 1968 | 1968 Blue Mountains Bushfire | New South Wales | | | 4 | approx. 120 | 0 | | |
| 8 January 1969 | 1969 bushfires | Victoria | | | 23 | 230 | 0 | | |
| 1969 – 70 | 1969-70 Dry River-Victoria River fire | Northern Territory | 45,000,000 | 110,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 1974 – 1975 summer fire season (defined as October 1974 to February 1975 in Queensland only) | 1974-75 Australian bushfire season | New South WalesNorthern TerritoryQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern Australia | 117,000,000 | 290,000,000 | 6 | unknown | unknown | 15% of Australia was burnt. The damage was mostly in central Australia and so it did not impact many communities. 57,000 farm animalsapproximately 10,200 kilometres (6,300 mi) of fencing | |
| 12 February 1977 | Western Districts bushfires | Victoria | 103,000 | 250,000 | 4 | 116 | 340 | | |
| 17 December 1977 | Blue Mountains Fires 1977 | New South Wales | 54,000 | 130,000 | 2 | 49 | 0 | | |
| 4 April 1978 | 1978 Western Australian bushfires | Western Australia | 114,000 | 280,000 | 2 | 0 | 6 | | |
| December 1979 | 1979 Sydney bushfires | New South Wales | | | 5 | 28 | 0 | | |
| 3 November 1980 | 1980 Waterfall bushfire | New South Wales | 1,000,000 | 2,500,000 | 5 | 14 | 0 | | |
| 9 January 1983 | Grays Point bushfire | New South Wales | | | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 16 February 1983 | Ash Wednesday bushfires | South Australia Victoria | 418,000 | 1,030,000 | 75 | approx. 2,400 | 0 | | |
| 25 December 1984 | 1984 Western New South Wales grasslands bushfires | New South Wales | 500,000 | 1,200,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40,000 livestockA$40 million damages | |
| Mid-January 1985 | 1985 Cobar bushfire | New South Wales | 516,000 | 1,280,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40,000 livestockA$40 million damages | |
| 1984 – 1985 season | 1984 - 85 New South Wales bushfires | New South Wales | 3,500,000 | 8,600,000 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40,000 livestockA$40 million damages | |
| 14 January 1985 | Central Victoria bushfires | Victoria | 50,800 | 126,000 | 3 | 180 | 0 | | |
| 27 December 1993 – 16 January 1994 | 1994 Eastern seaboard fires | New South Wales | 400,000 | 990,000 | 4 | 225 | 0 | | |
| 8 January 1997 | Wooroloo bushfire | Western Australia | 10,500 | 26,000 | 0 | 16 | 0 | | |
| 21 January 1997 | Dandenongs bushfire | Victoria | 400 | 990 | 3 | 41 | 0 | | |
| 2 December 1997 | Lithgow bushfire | New South Wales | | | 2 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 2 December 1997 | Menai bushfire | New South Wales | | | 1 | 11 | 0 | | |
| 2 December 1997 | Perth and South-West Region bushfires | Western Australia | 23,000 | 57,000 | 2 | 1 | 0 | | |
| 2 December 1998 | Linton bushfire | Victoria | | | 5 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 25 December 2001 – 7 January 2002 | Black Christmas bushfires | New South Wales | 753,314 | 1,861,480 | 0 | 121 | 0 | | |
| August – November 2002 | 2002 NT bushfires | Northern Territory | 38,000,000 | 94,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 19 October 2002 | Thurlgona Road Bushfire | New South Wales | | | 0 | 10 | Numerous Sheds | | |
| 20 October 2002 | Abernathy Bushfire | New South Wales | 1,400 | 3,459 | 1 | 13 | Numerous Sheds | | |
| 4 December 2002 | 2002 NSW Bushfires | New South Wales | | | 1 | 20 | | Significant damage to Holsworthy Army Base | |
| 18 – 22 January 2003 | 2003 Canberra bushfires | Australian Capital Territory | 160,000 | 400,000 | 4 | approx. 500 | 0 | | |
| 8 January – 8 March 2003 | 2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires | Victoria | 1,300,000 | 3,200,000 | 0 | 41 | 213 | 10,000 livestock | |
| December 2003 | Tenterden | Western Australia | 15,000 | 37,000 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | |
| 10 – 12 January 2005 | 2005 Eyre Peninsula bushfire | South Australia | 77,964 | 192,650 | 9 | 93 | 0 | | |
| New Years Day 2006 | Jail Break Inn Fire, Junee | New South Wales | 30,000 | 74,000 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 20,000 livestock7 headers1,500 kilometres (930 mi) of fencing | |
| December 2005 – January 2006 | 2005 Victorian bushfires | Victoria | 160,000 | 400,000 | 4 | 57 | 359 | 65,000 livestock | |
| January 2006 | Grampians bushfire | Victoria | 184,000 | 450,000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 6 February 2006 | Pulletop bushfire, Wagga Wagga | New South Wales | 9,000 | 22,000 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2,500 livestock3 vehicles50 kilometres (31 mi) of fencing | |
| 1 December 2006 – March 2007 | The Great Divides bushfire | Victoria | 1,048,000 | 2,590,000 | 1 | 51 | 0 | | |
| September 2006 – January 2007 | 2006–07 Australian bushfire season | New South Wales South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia | 1,360,000 | 3,400,000 | 5 | 83 | approx. 20 | | |
| 4 February 2007 | Dwellingup bushfire | Western Australia | 12,000 | 30,000 | 0 | 16 | 0 | | |
| 6 – 14 December 2007 | 2007 Kangaroo Island bushfires | South Australia | 95,000 | 230,000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | |
| 30 December 2007 | Boorabbin National Park | Western Australia | 40,000 | 99,000 | 3 | 0 | 0 | PowerlinesGreat Eastern Highway was closed for 2 weeks | |
| 7 February – 14 March 2009 | Black Saturday bushfires | Victoria | 450,000 | 1,100,000 | 173 | 2,029 | 2,000 | | |
| 4 January 2013 | Tasmanian bushfires | Tasmania | 20,000 | 49,000 | 1 | | |
| 18 January 2013 | Warrumbungle bushfire | New South Wales | 54,000 | 130,000 | 0 | 53 | 118 | Agricultural machinery and livestockInfrastructure at Siding Spring Observatory | |
| 17 – 28 October 2013 | 2013 New South Wales bushfires | New South Wales | 100,000 | 250,000 | 1 | 208 | 40 | | |
| 27 December 2011 – 3 February 2012 | Carnarvon bushfire complex | Western Australia | 800,000 | 2,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 pastoral stations (fences, watering systems, water points, stock feed) | |
| 2 – 9 January 2015 | 2015 Sampson Flat bushfires | South Australia | 20,000 | 49,000 | 0 | 27 | 140 | | |
| 29 January – 20 February 2015 | 2015 O'Sullivan bushfire (Northcliffe – Windy Harbour) | Western Australia | 98,923 | 244,440 | 0 | 2 | 5 | Thousands of hectares of production forests (karri and jarrah) or national parks | |
| January 2015 | 2015 Lower Hotham bushfire (Boddington) | Western Australia | 52,373 | 129,420 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 bridgeThousands of hectares of production forest (jarrah) or national parks | |
| 1–9 August 2015 | 2015 Wentworthfalls Winter Fire | New South Wales | 800 | 2,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | |
| October – November 2015 | 2015 Esperance bushfires | Western Australia | 200,000 | 490,000 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 15,000 livestock5 Nature ReservesMost of Cape Arid National Park | |
| 15 – 24 November 2015 | Perth Hills bushfire complex – Solus Group | Western Australia | 10,016 | 24,750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jarrah production forest and Conservation Park | |
| 25 November – 2 December 2015 | 2015 Pinery bushfire | South Australia | 85,000 | 210,000 | 2 | 91 | 0 | | |
| January 2016 | 2016 Murray Road bushfire (Waroona and Harvey) | Western Australia | 69,165 | 170,910 | 2 | 181 | Yarloop Workshops | Thousands of hectares of Lane Poole ReserveProduction forest (jarrah) | |
| 11 – 14 February 2017 | 2017 New South Wales bushfires | New South Wales | 52,000 | 130,000 | 0 | 35 | 0 | | |
| Early February 2019 | Tingha bushfire | New South Wales | 23,419 | 57,870 | 0 | 19 | | |
| 5 September 2019 – 2 March 2020 | 2019–20 Australian bushfire season (Black Summer) | Nationwide | 18,626,000 | 46,030,000 | 34 | approx. 2,600 | approx. 6,000 | At least one billion wild animals are estimated to have died (not including frogs and insects) with some species thought to be facing extinction. | Area Other |
| 1 June 2020 – 1 June 2021 | 2020–21 Australian bushfire season | Nationwide | 250,000 | 617,763 | 0 | 85 | Dozen outbuildings and 1 Service Station in Lucindale and dozens of out buildings in Bradbury. Outbuildings, sheds and a nursery destroyed in Oakford. Outbuildings lost in Wooroloo and surrounds. | 1 house in Northmead north west of Sydney was severely damaged. | |

## Australia Bushfire Seasons

* 1974-75 Australian bushfire season
* 2002–03 Australian bushfire season
* 2004–05 Australian bushfire season
* 2005–06 Australian bushfire season
* 2006–07 Australian bushfire season
* 2007–08 Australian bushfire season
* 2008–09 Australian bushfire season
* 2009–10 Australian bushfire season
* 2010–11 Australian bushfire season
* 2011–12 Australian bushfire season
* 2012–13 Australian bushfire season
* 2013–14 Australian bushfire season
* 2014–15 Australian bushfire season
* 2015–16 Australian bushfire season
* 2016–17 Australian bushfire season
* 2017–18 Australian bushfire season
* 2018–19 Australian bushfire season
* 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
* 2020–21 Australian bushfire season
* 2021–22 Australian bushfire season
* 2022–23 Australian bushfire season