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The Canberra bushfires of 2003 were the worst fires in Canberra's history and caused severe damage to the outskirts of the Australian capital city. They were reported as being the second most expensive fires in Australian history, behind Ash Wednesday. After burning for a week around the edges of the Australian Capital Territory, the fires entered the suburbs of Canberra on January 18. Over the next ten hours, four people died and more than 500 homes and tens of square kilometres of forest were destroyed or severely damaged, requiring a significant relief and reconstruction effort. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 115 KB) Canberra bushfires, 18/01/2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 115 KB) Canberra bushfires, 18/01/2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Backburning in Townsville, Australia to prevent bushfires. ...
Canberra is the capital city of Australia and, with a population of just over 323,000, is also Australias largest inland city. ...
The History of Canberra details Canberras development from before white settlement to the first planning by the Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin and subsequent development of the city to the present day. ...
The Ash Wednesday fires were an Australian natural disaster which occurred in February 1983. ...
Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ...
Canberra is the capital city of Australia and, with a population of just over 323,000, is also Australias largest inland city. ...
January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
The beginning
Fires had been burning in the adjoining Kosciuszko National Park to the west of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) since January 8, 2003 when lightning strikes had started some 150 fires. Kosciuszko is a national park in New South Wales (Australia), 354 km southwest of Sydney. ...
Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ...
January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Lightning over Pentagon City in Arlington County, Virginia Cloud to cloud lightning Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. ...
On 13 January, a helicopter that had been waterbombing the fires in the forests west of Canberra crashed into Bendora Dam, and ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, who was reviewing the progress of the fires, was one of the rescuers. January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Cotter River picnic area The Cotter River is a river in the Australian Capital Territory. ...
Jon Stanhope (born 1951) is the current Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, representing the Australian Labor Party. ...
Saturday January 18 As strong winds and high temperatures continued into the morning of Saturday, January 18, residents in rural areas west and north-west of the city were told to prepare for the worst. Two fires continued to burn out of control in the Namadgi National Park, with the entire park, along with the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve being closed due to the threat. A second fire in the Brindabella Ranges was threatening to break containment lines. Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. ...
Tidbinbilla Locality Map Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, on the fringe of Namadgi National Park, is a short drive from the city of Canberra, Australia. ...
Brindabella Ranges is a mountain range and the name of a valley in Australia. ...
Throughout the day, the fires burned closer and closer to the fringes of Canberra's suburbs, and there was still no sign of gaining control of the situation. By mid-afternoon, it had become apparent that the fires posed a immediate threat to houses on the city's urban limits, and a state of emergency had been declared. Residents of the suburb of Bonython were evacuated, and residents of sixteen more suburbs were placed on alert and advised to return home from work. Bonython is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Tuggeranong. ...
The blazes, which CNN described as a "firestorm", had reached Canberra by 4pm, by which time houses were alight in the suburbs of Duffy and Giralang, with the loss of a home in Holder soon after. In Duffy, firefighters had been forced to retreat, abandoning an entire block. Evacuation centres were set up at four schools - Phillip College, Ginninderra College, Erindale College and Narrabundah College. A dark cloud hung over the city, and though it was not in danger, Parliament House was closed. Parts of the city also lost power. Duffy (postcode: 2611) is a suburb in the Canberra district of Weston Creek. ...
Giralang is a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen. ...
Holder is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. ...
Parliament House Canberra: The main entrance and the flag Parliament House is the name given to two purpose-built buildings in Canberra, the capital of Australia, where the Parliament of Australia has met since 1927. ...
By 5pm, houses were reported destroyed in Duffy, Giralang, Holder and Rivett, as well as a school in Uriarra. Houses were also burning in Kambah and Uriarra, with some Holder residents being asked to evacuate. The Monaro Highway into Canberra was closed off, and more suburbs were reported to have lost power. Within an hour, houses were also burning in Torrens and Weston, as well as one suburban fire station. The Canberra Hospital, though it was relying on auxiliary power due to the blackout, faced increasing numbers of patients suffering from smoke inhalation and other fire-related illnesses. Rivett (postcode: 2611) is a residential suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, established in the late 1960s. ...
Uriarra is a settlement in the Australian Capital Territory. ...
Kambah (postcode 2902) is the northernmost suburb in the district of Tuggeranong, Canberra. ...
The Monaro Highway is a State highway in both New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. ...
Torrens is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Woden. ...
Weston (postcode: 2611) is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. ...
The first casualty of the fires occurred in the mid-evening, as a result of smoke inhalation. The fires subsequently spread to the suburb of Curtin and Lyons, and residents of several suburbs were given the option of evacuating to Queanbeyan. The Emergency Services Bureau, based in Curtin, which was the centre of command for the firefighting operation, came under threat itself. The army, which has a significant presence in and around Canberra, was called in to provide support. Curtin is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Woden. ...
Lyons is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Woden. ...
The town of Queanbeyan in New South Wales, Australia is overshadowed by its proximity to the Australian federal capital city of Canberra. ...
By 10pm, one of the four evacuation centres in Canberra was completely full, and others were filling up quickly. Reports of looting also began to arrive from the damaged areas. Both Prime Minister John Howard and then-Governor General Peter Hollingworth changed their plans in order to return to Canberra as soon as was possible. While the very worst of the fires had passed, the situation was still far from stable, and going into Sunday January 19, houses were still ablaze across numerous suburbs. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician and 25th Prime Minister of Australia, came to office on 11 March 1996, and gained re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ...
The Rt Revd Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE The Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE (born April 10, 1935), Australian bishop and 23rd Governor-General of Australia, became the first Governor-General to resign his office as a result of criticism of his conduct, when on 28 May...
January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
The impacts of the disaster The deaths of four people, the significant loss and damage to property and the destruction of forests to the west of the city caused not just economic loss but significant social impacts.
Many people were affected by depression, particularly those who had lost their homes in the fires. A total of 470 homes were destroyed. The community sought answers as to why there was not better preparation for the fires and why there was so much confusion at the time.
As with any bushfire, the environment will take significant time to regenerate. Regeneration of vegetation was delayed by the ongoing drought in the region. Backburning in Townsville, Australia to prevent bushfires. ...
A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ...
Fire Fighting Tactics When two fire fronts met, the result was surprising. The Canberra fires rewrote the way bushfires behaved. Firefighters tried to contain the fire by water bombing.
Mt Stromlo Observatory
 The burnt out remains of the Mt Stromlo Observatory a year after the fires. Perhaps the most notable cultural and scientific loss caused by the fires was the damage to the scenic and renowned Mount Stromlo Observatory (headquarters of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysicsof the Australian National University) which is estimated to be the source of a third of Australia's astronomical research (New Scientist, 20 January 2003). Five historically significant telescopes were destroyed. Instrumentation & engineering workshops, the observatory's library and the main administration buildings were consumed. The insurance payment sought by the Australian National University, amounting to 75 million Australian dollars, could become the largest claim in Australian history The Australian, 15 December 2004). Mount Stromlo Observatory - Burnt out remains of telescope (I took this picture on uni trip) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Mount Stromlo Observatory - Burnt out remains of telescope (I took this picture on uni trip) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
The old administration building with the dome of the Farnham telescope The dome of the 50-inch Great Melbourne telescope Mount Stromlo Observatory (MSO) located just outside of Canberra, Australia, is part of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University (ANU). ...
The Australian National University (ANU), is a university located in Canberra, the national capital of Australia. ...
The aftermath In the weeks after January 18, the impact of the fires was studied in detail in order to determine how the damage had been done, and how to better work against such natural disasters in future. The Cities Project compiled information on as many as 431 damaged properties, stratified into the groups of "destroyed", "heavy damage", "medium damage", "light damage", and "superficial damage". This data was split by suburb to form a table which illustrated which areas had taken the most damage. Their data allowed them to conclude that the high levels of "destroyed" property (91%) indicated the high speed with which the fire had moved. It was also able to be concluded that once the establishments has caught fire, there was little chance of their being put out. In addition, their study showed that it was not only the fire which caused such damage, but also the fierce winds recorded on the day, which were strong enough to uproot some small trees. It is believed that with the aid of this information, better policies and regulations have been formulated, which may help to reduce the destruction in future bushfires, in Canberra, as well as in other locales. A natural disaster is a catastrophe that occurs when a hazardous physical event (such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide, hurricane, or any of the other natural phenomena listed below) precipitates extensive damage to property, a large number of casualties, or both. ...
- Fighting bushfires on the Mount Franklin Road, Brindabella Ranges, on the night of 11/12 January 2003 / David Tunbridge
- Canberra fire damage, 18 January to 14 February 2003 / Damian McDonald, Greg Power and Loui Seselja.
- Canberra bushfires, 18 January to 14 February 2003 / Tony Miller
- Canberra bushfires, 2003 / Christine Thomas and Simon Mockler
The Bushfire Recovery Taskforce was established to advise the Government, provide leadership for the recovery and act as a bridge between Government agencies and the community.
McLeod Inquiry
 The McLeod Inquiry Report The ACT Government established the McLeod Inquiry to examine and report on the operational response to the bushfires. The Inquiry was headed by Ron McLeod, a former Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Inquiry handed down its findings on 1 August, 2003. The cover of the ACT bushfire inquiry report This work is copyrighted. ...
The cover of the ACT bushfire inquiry report This work is copyrighted. ...
2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The inquiry found that:
- The fires, started by lightning strikes, might have been contained had they been attacked more aggressively in the 24 hours after they broke out. Large stretches of dry drought affected vegetation and weather conditions that were extremely conducive to fire meant that once the fires reached a certain size, that they were very difficult to control.
- That management of fuel load in parks and access to remote area was lacking.
- Emergency service personnel performed creditably, but they were overwhelmed by the intensity of the fires and the unexpected speed of their advance on January 18.
- A Comprehensive ACT emergency plan was in place at the time of the fire, it worked particularly in recovery after the fires in dealing with the large number of people who needed temporary shelter and assistance as a consequence of the fires.
- That inadequacies in the physical construction and layout of the Emergency Services Bureau centre in Curtin were a hindrance. The centre was unable to handle efficiently the large amount of data and communications traffic into and out of the centre at the height of the crisis.
- That there were some equipment and resourcing deficiencies within the ACT’s emergency service organisations.
- That information and advice given to the community about about the progress of the fires, the seriousness of the threat and the preparations the public should be making was seriously inadequate. There was also confusion as to whether homes should be evacuated.
The Inquiry recommended there should be increased emphasis given to controlled burning as a fuel-reduction strategy. That access to and training of emergency personnel in remote areas need to be improved. That a number of changes be made to the emergency services and the policies that govern their operations, icluding a greater emphasis on provision of information to the public. Lightning over Pentagon City in Arlington County, Virginia Cloud to cloud lightning Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. ...
A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ...
Emergency services are public services that deal with emergencies and other aspects of Public Safety. ...
Curtin is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Woden. ...
ACT Coroner's Bushfire Inquiry - Main article: ACT Coroner's Bushfire Inquiry
The Coroner's inquiry has been underway since January 2003, and hearing officially opened on June 16, 2003. After hearing over 90 days of evidence the inquiry hearing evidence on October 35, 2005. A submission will include recommendations for the coroner's findings and must be finished by February 17, 2006. [1] The coroner said the ACT was uber ...
A coroner is the presiding officer of a special court to investigate deaths that occur under unusual circumstances where conventional criminal proceedings are not immediately called for. ...
See also This is a list of disasters in Australia sorted by death toll. ...
References - McLeod, Ron. 2003. Inquiry into the Operational Response to the January 2003 Bushfires in the ACT [2]
- Flight Safety Magazine article March/April 2003 on aerial bush fire fighters cached by Google
External links - Bushfires, Canberra, A.C.T., January 2003 - Australian Internet Sites - websites in the PANDORA archive
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