The Canberra Firestorm 2003 Report
Bushfires in Australia
Large areas of Australia are prone to bushfires. This is because of Australia's hot,
dry climate and the fact that Australia experiences many droughts. South-eastern
Australia includes areas that are prone to the most severe and frequent bushfires in
the world. Strong winds in summer and sudden changes in wind direction can
worsen the damage that bushfires cause. Bushfires tend to occur in eastern
Australia where the major forest areas are found. Many of Australia's native plants
burn easily. Eucalyptus trees have a high oil content and are highly flammable. The
large areas of dry grass common in mid to late summer also burn readily.
The geographical processes associated with bushfires in Australia
Bushfires can be caused by natural means, such as a lightning strikes, or by humans
who act carelessly. Once a bushfire starts it can either be quickly controlled or it can
burn out of control, depending on the weather conditions, especially the wind and the
quantity and dryness of the undergrowth.
Weather conditions have a direct influence on the occurrence of bushfires in
Australia. Varied fire seasons reflect different weather patterns. The map below
shows the fire seasons across Australia.
The four main factors that lead to the right climatic conditions for bushfires are:
 Humidity - very low humidity (less than 20 per cent), causes fuels to dry out
and become flammable
 lack of rainfall - leads to dry vegetation, dead leaves and twigs that become
fuel for bushfires and, of course, vegetation is very dry in times of drought
 wind - air movement provides the oxygen the fire needs to keep burning;
stronger winds bring more oxygen and stronger flames and winds also blow
embers downwind, causing spotting
 temperature - hot air can lower the moisture content of vegetation.
In mid January 2003 many weather events combined to form dangerous conditions.
High temperatures, low humidity, lightning strikes and strong gusty winds led to a
series of bushfires in the Kosciuszko and Namadgi national parks in the ACT
surrounding Canberra. Over a period of a few days, gale force winds pushed the
fires into the forested land around Canberra, including the Stromlo Forest.
During the afternoon of Saturday 18 January the situation deteriorated dramatically
and fire spread to many residential areas of Canberra, including Duffy, Rivett,
Chapman, Kambah, Higgins, Hawker and Cook. The following maps show the
progression of the bushfires from the 16th to the 19th of January.
The economic, social and environmental impact of bushfires
The effects of bushfires on people and property can be very destructive and severe.
Since 1900, 470 lives have been lost to bushfires in Australia. In the past twenty
years, property estimated at more than $1.2 billion has been destroyed.
Economic Impacts
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Social Impacts
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Environmental Impacts 
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Significant economic impact on people and properties in
Australia
In the past twenty years, property estimated at more
than $1.2 billion has been destroyed in Australia
Many individuals lose property and their life savings as
they are not insured against bushfires
Since 1900, 470 lives have been lost to bushfires in
Australia
Health impacts resulting from stress, smoke inhalation
and asthma attacks
Family breakdowns due to increased pressures
Many individuals have a poor understanding of the risks
posed by bushfires and of how to preserve their lives
and property - as a result they can be traumatised by
bushfire activity
Create large volumes of smoke and ash
Provide conditions some plants need to germinate plants, leaves and stems burn, however many plants are
adapted to regrow
Cause localised changes in weather
Bushfires increase the amount of CO2 in the air
As a result of the fires reaching the residential suburbs of Canberra on Saturday the
18th, more than 520 homes were destroyed, thousands of hectares of forest and park
lands were burnt out, and four lives were lost. Estimates at the time of the fire put the
damage costs in the region of $250 million. In terms of insurance costs this fire was
the second worst bushfire in Australia to that time, only surpassed by the Ash
Wednesday Fires in South Australia and Victoria in 1983 where over $300 Million
damage was caused.
The specific impacts of the Canberra Firestorm were:
Economic Impacts
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Social Impacts
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Environmental Impacts 
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There was considerable destruction of property-more
than 520 homes were destroyed
Over 600 applications for assistance from the Canberra
Bushfire Recovery Appeal were received
Estimates of the costs of the fires are over A$200 million
Four lives were lost
There were considerable levels of grief and suffering
from unexpected loss
There were health impacts from smoke inhalation
The stress of not being able to locate family and friends
Thousands of hectares of forest and park lands were
burnt out
A heavy blanket of smoke and ash covered the region
for days
There was considerable damage to the ACT's natural
assets such as Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi
National Park, as well as much damage to urban areas
Responses of individuals, groups and government
Individuals and community groups are responsible for the prevention and
management of bushfires. Individuals can assist by avoiding living too close to
hazardous bushland, reducing fuel such as removing leaves and fallen bark in
gutters and around houses, especially dry vegetation and avoiding planting
eucalypts close to houses. Individuals and community groups can make sure that
every house in a fire risk area has an emergency plan and individuals are educated
and aware of risk conditions.
Hazard reduction is an important issue in minimising bushfire damage. This involves
clearing or burning-off any dry undergrowth or back-burning during a bushfire to
control its spread. Hazard reduction is often a controversial issue as different interest
groups argue over the amount of hazard reduction carried out prior to a bushfire.
Many groups work tirelessly to reduce the impact of bushfires in Australia. Two of
these groups are the NSW Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Services or
SES. These two bodies are very important community-based groups of people who
work to protect residents from bushfires in NSW. The Rural Fire Service consists of
over 2400 brigades and approximately 70 000 volunteer members. They are
responsible for fire suppression and prevention activities. They work closely with the
NSW Fire Brigades. Volunteers offer support in a range of services from firefighting
and prevention to community education and catering
After the Canberra Firestorm for a period of two weeks emergency personnel,
volunteers and the Australian Defence Forces worked continually in Canberra. The
Australian Defence Forces contributed expertise in firefighting and control, crews for
clean-up, water and fuel. Over 150 NSW fire fighters joined Canberra's fire fighters to
battle the blaze.
The Red Cross was an active group during the fires. Over 100 volunteers provided
accommodation, food, clothing and furniture and provided assistance to each of the
thousands of people in the evacuation centres that were set up. The Red Cross
registered 3856 evacuees and more than 8000 people called the Red Cross 1800
number looking for friends or family.
Individual residents responded with uncertainty to the fires as many were
unprepared and had little warning. Few residents had carried out fuel reduction
around their properties as it was an unexpected event.
The federal government provided short and long term relief under the Natural
Disaster Relief Arrangements. The federal government met 50 per cent of the cost of
personal hardships and distress payments made to people by the ACT government
to provide emergency food, clothing, accommodation and special interest rate loans.
The community financial response to the Canberra bushfires was swift and positive.
The ACT government also established the Canberra Bushfire Recovery Appeal,
which by 20 March 2003 had raised over $6 million to provide assistance to the
residents affected by the fires. The money was raised through special entertainment
events, local appeals, business donations and grants from governments nationally
and internationally. The federal government contributed $500000 to this appeal.
Future Preventions
In the aftermath of the Canberra bushfires, the ACT government is piloting a
program of community fire units in nine suburbs. While the idea is similar to
programs operating in NSW, activities on this scale enable selected members of the
community to undertake appropriate training and be provided with basic equipment
to enhance emergency response.
Implemented nationally, such a scheme could build community resilience, not only
with bushfires, but with other natural hazards. These units could play a significant
role at the street and suburb level in community education, in the provision of
information to residents and authorities during emergencies, and facilitating swift
evacuations when required.
The Canberra bushfires highlighted the fact that community education and
awareness campaigns are required in order for individuals to cope in an emergency
situation, and that more research and development is required regarding
coordinating the various government and community groups involved in bushfire
management.