1974–75 Australian bushfire season explained

1974–75 Australian bushfire season
References:-->
Total Area:117abbr=offNaNabbr=off
Livestock:57,000
Structures: of fencing
Fatalities:6
Is Season:true
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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 117abbr=offNaNabbr=off.[1] [2] 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 of fencing.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics attributed the extent of the fires to "exceptionally heavy rainfall in the previous two years".[3]

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.”[4] Nonetheless, fire historian Danielle Clode notes that these fires remain significant for being the biggest bushfire event by area ever recorded.[5] In 2011, retired Australian government scientist David Packham warned that "we are in for one big season" that could repeat the 1974 summer fires.[6]

Areas impacted

Australia, being a federation of States and territories, breaks up the 1974-1975 fires by state or region:

New South WalesSix people killed. Area burned: 3.5e6ha. 50,000 livestock lost, of fencing destroyed. to Balranald, Cobar Shire, Moolah–Corinya—most of the Western Division. Lost crops, and widespread damage to infrastructure, including communications, roads and railways.[7]

The Moolah-Corinya fire was "the largest fire ever contained by man in New South Wales without the help of the weather." It burned 1.166e6ha and its perimeter was over .

Northern TerritoryArea burned: 45e6ha. The fire reached Barkly Tableland, Victoria River district, near Newcastle Waters.
QueenslandThe bushfire season was defined as October 1974 to February 1975. Area burned: 7.3e6ha. 95 cattle, 6,850 sheep lost. Areas damaged: Thargomindah, Bulloo Shire, Boulia Urandangie, McKinlay Shire.
South AustraliaArea burned: 15e6ha. The areas affected were the north-west of the state (arid and semi-arid zones), and the Adelaide Hills.
Western AustraliaArea burned: 29e6ha of fires, damaging east and north-east of Kalgoorlie.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New South Wales, December 1974 Bushfire - New South Wales . 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 .
  2. News: Cole, Brendan . WHAT CAUSED THE WILDFIRES IN AUSTRALIA? AMID WORST BLAZES FOR A DECADE, 24 PEOPLE ARE CHARGED WITH ARSON . 14 February 2020 . . 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 .
  3. Web site: 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..
  4. Web site: 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.
  5. Clode, Danielle, A Future in Flames, Ligature Press, Sydney, 2018, p 92-94
  6. News: Summer bushfires risk rivals the 1970s . 14 February 2020 . . 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.
  7. News: Chang . Charis . 'Forever fires': How the Australia bush fires compare to other disasters . 14 February 2020 . . 7 January 2020 . widespread damage to infrastructure, including communications, roads, railways and property fencing. Farmers lost crops and livestock..
  8. Book: National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management - 2004. Ellis. Stuart. Kanowski. Peter. . Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia. 0-646-43442-X . 2004. 339–345. 14 February 2020 . 13 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200113101517/https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=scipapers. University of Wollongong.

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