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2007–08 Australian bushfire season

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2007–08 Australian bushfire season
NASA MODIS burned area detections from June 2007 to May 2008
Date(s)Winter (June) 2007 – Autumn (May) 2008
LocationAustralia
Statistics
Burned area>100,000 ha (250,000 acres)
Impacts
Deaths5 total
  • 1 DSE volunteer firefighter
  • 4 other
Structures destroyed3+ total
  • 3+ houses
  • numerous non-residential structures

The Australian bushfire season over the summer of 2007–2008, experienced fire occurrence below average for the season as some regions experienced increased rainfall and reduced fuel as a result of extensive fires during the previous 2006–07 season, particularly in Victoria where the fires in the 2006–07 season burnt over 1.1 million hectares of land. Fires in Victoria during the 2007–08 season burnt less than a fifth of the land area usually burnt during an average bushfire season.

An analysis of bushfires in Victoria on public land by the Department of Sustainability and Environment revealed that the 2007–08 fires burnt 32,368 hectares, or 18.7% of the long-term average of 173,152 hectares.[1] It was also estimated that 26% of these fires were caused by lightning strikes and 25% by arson.[1]

Predictions

In the 3 months leading up to the summer 2007–08, many states and regions experienced far below average rainfalls and when several fires spread through October 2007, which led to predictions of an above average bushfire season, late rainfalls quelled bushfire occurrence later in the season.

Fires of note

State Start date Deaths Injuries Houses lost Area (ha) Local govt. Impacted communities & destruction Duration Ref.
VIC 20 November 2007 1 East Gippsland near Cann River [2]
SA 6 December 2007 1 95,000 ha (230,000 acres) Kangaroo Island Vivonne Bay
  • A civilian perishes
  • Significant livestock loss
 8 days [3][4]
WA 30 December 2007 3 7,500 ha (19,000 acres) Coolgardie Coolgardie [5][6][7]
WA 1 January 2008 2 2+ 900 ha (2,200 acres) Mundaring Parkerville & Stoneville
  • 18 vehicles destroyed
  • 100 livestock perish
 [8][9][10]
SA 13 March 2008 9 1 150 ha (370 acres) Onkaparinga Willunga [11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b Gray, Darren (8 July 2008). "Less land ruined by bushfires". The Age. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  2. ^ "DSE volunteer dies in East Gippsland". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 November 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  3. ^ Dornin, Tom (7 December 2007). "Man dies in Kangaroo Island bushfires". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Kangaroo Island bushfires claim life". SBS Australia. AAP. 7 December 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  5. ^ Bibby, Paul (31 December 2007). "Three dead in bushfire". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  6. ^ Wynne, Emma (5 November 2009). "Remembering the Boorabbin bushfires". ABC Local (Goldfields). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  7. ^ Liam Phillips; Joseph Sapienza (21 November 2009). "Bushfire controller to escape punishment". WA Today. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  8. ^ "'Suspicious' WA bushfire under investigation". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 January 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Powerlines suspect in Perth Hills bushfire". News.com.au. AAP. 4 January 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Western Power blamed for Parkerville fire". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Willunga Bushfire". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Planes seek out hotspots in SA bushfire". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 March 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
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