2005–06 Australian bushfire season explained

2005–06 Australian bushfire season
Location:	Australia
Date:	Winter (June) 2005 – Autumn (May) 2006
Area:	>180000ha
Buildings:	500+ total
Fatalities:	5 total
Injuries:	Numerous
Is Season:	true
Prev:	2004–05 Australian bushfire season
Next:	2006–07 Australian bushfire season

A moderately extensive bushfire season, particularly in western Victoria where fires were most prominent, occurred in mid-late January 2006 as conditions persisted across the state.

Timeline

January 2006

Bushfires in Victoria were prominent in mid-late January 2006 as conditions permitted across the state. With the loss of 4 lives and 57 homes. On Australia Day, a CFA volunteer died in the Victorian fires. Arsonists were charged with lighting fires that spread through western Victoria in late January. Two people died in The Grampians when their car was overcome by the Mount Lubra bushfire.^[1]

Over the month a total of 500 fires were recorded in Victoria with 359 farm buildings destroyed, stock losses of 64,000 and 1600km2 of private and public land burned out.^[2]

Fires of note

State	Start date	Deaths	Injuries	Houses lost	Area (ha)	Local govt.	Impacted communities & destruction	Duration	Ref.
VIC	31 December 2005		2	11	10000ha	Northern Grampians	Stawell Vineyards, orchards, flower farms and 68 non-residential structures destroyed 1,600 head of livestock perish		^[3] ^[4]
	1 January 2006		1	10	25000ha	Junee	Bethungra, Illabo & Junee 4 shearing sheds, many other non-residential structures and vehicles destroyed 21,000 head of livestock perish	2 days	^[5] ^[6] ^[7]
		1		3	4500ha	Gosford	Woy Woy, Umina Beach & Phegans Bay A St John's Ambulance volunteer suffers a heart attack and perishes 7 vehicles, 3 non-residential structures and a RFS station destroyed	2 days	^[8] ^[9]
VIC	19 January 2006	2		40	130000ha	Northern Grampians	Moyston, Pornonal, Dunkeld, Mafeking, Willaura & Halls Gap Two civilians perish 73 non-residential structures and several dozen vehicles destroyed 65,000 head of livestock perish	32 days	^[10] ^[11]
VIC	22 January 2006			5	6700ha	Greater Geelong	Anakie A hall, 31 non-residential structures and 13 vehicles destroyed 1,000 head of livestock perish		^[12] ^[13]
VIC	23 January 2006	1	2			Murrindindi	near Yea A CFA volunteer perishes Several non-residential structures destroyed		^[14]
	17 February 2006	1				Indigo	Barnawartha A CFA volunteer perishes		^[15] ^[16]
VIC	13 March 2006			6	3100ha	Pyrenees	Snake Valley, Scarsdale & Smythesdale 20 vehicles destroyed	8 days	^[17] ^[18]

Notes and References

1. News: Bushfire deaths inquest begins . 29 August 2007 . . 27 August 2010 .
2. Web site: Bushfire history. 12 September 2015. Victoria State Government.
3. News: Jackson. Andra. Cost of Stawell fire grows as aid effort starts. 11 June 2015. The Age. 4 January 2006.
4. News: Stawell-Deep Lead New Year's Eve fires remembered. 27 April 2016. Stawell Times-News. 31 December 2015.
5. Web site: Generous support coming in for farmers affected by bushfires. dpi.nsw.gov.au. NSW Department of Primary Industries. 11 June 2015. 6 January 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20070918151104/http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/archive/news-releases/agriculture/2006/generous-support-farmers-affected-by-bushfires. 18 September 2007. dead.
6. Section 44 Fires. Bush Fire Bulletin. 2006. 28. 1. 2–17. 27 April 2016. NSW Rural Fire Service.
7. News: Former Junee Mayor reflects on 10 year anniversary of New Year's Day bushfire. 30 April 2016. ABC News. Australia. 4 January 2016.
8. News: Volunteer dies near bushfires. 11 June 2015. The Age. 2 January 2006.
9. News: Volunteer dies as bushfire fight continues. 11 June 2015. ABC News. Australia. 2 January 2006.
10. News: Bushfire deaths inquest begins. 11 June 2015. Ballarat Courier. 29 August 2007.
11. House of Representatives . Commonwealth of Australia . Victoria: January Bushfires – Grievance Debate . 27 February 2006 . 60 . 62 . Stewart McArthur . Member for Corangamite.
12. Book: Smith. Ross. Debrief Outcomes Significant Victorian Fires; December 2005 – January 2006. 12 July 2006. Country Fire Authority. 74–100. 28 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20060927055202/http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/documents/debrief_outcomes_sig_fires_dec05_jan06.pdf. 2006-09-27.
13. News: Murphy. Matthew. Meaghan Shaw. Residents flee endangered towns. 11 June 2015. The Age. 23 January 2006.
14. News: Firefighter killed in rollover. 11 June 2015. The Age. 23 January 2006.
15. News: Russell. Mark. Family mourns firefighting wife, mother. 11 June 2015. The Age. 19 February 2006.
16. Web site: Firefighter dies battling Vic. blaze. safirefighter.com. SA Firefighter. 11 June 2015.
17. News: Evans. Chris. Snake Valley bushfire a threat. 11 June 2015. The Age. 13 March 2006.
18. News: Crews continue to fight Vic fires. 28 April 2016. ABC News. Australia. 13 March 2006.