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Summary of major Bush Fires New South Wales Australia
1st of November 1968 Blue Mtns and Illawarra, NSW: Bushfires
People Injured 70
People Affected 15,000
People Homeless 600
Over 200 buildings were destroyed (38 destroyed in Illawarra region), including at least 150 homes, and deaths occurred in several regions, but mainly in the lower Blue Mountains. Reports of deaths vary but at least 3 sources, including the Macquarie Book of Events, reported 14 deaths in total. Over one million ha burnt.
The Blue Mountains bushfires burnt for 4 weeks in November/December
Bushfire season 2002 - 2003
In New South Wales, 1.46 million ha were burnt over 151 consecutive days from 27 September 2002 to 24 February 2003.(1)
The fires spread from the north east of the state in September, to the south east in February. New South Wales had the most protracted fire season of all the states and territories.(2)
Three civilians died during the bushfire emergencies. In excess of 400 significant injuries were reported by firefighters
| Year | Location | Start Date | Dead |
| 1926 | Central-Western NSW: | 01/01/26 | 8 |
| 1939 | Blue Mountains, NSW: | 25/12/39 | 5 |
| 1939 | Sydney and Southern NSW: | 13/01/39 | 13 |
| 1944 | Lochinvar, NSW: | 01/01/44 | 2 |
| 1957 | Blue Mountains and Sydney Regions, NSW: | 30/11/57 | 4 |
| 1965 | Southern Tablelands, NSW: | 05/03/65 | 1 |
| 1968 | Sydney, Blue Mtns and Illawarra, NSW: | 01/11/68 | 14 |
| 1970 | Roto, NSW: | 01/01/70 | |
| 1974 | NSW (and other States): Widespread fires | 01/12/74 | 3 |
| 1976 | Blue Mountains, NSW: Bushfire | 01/12/76 | |
| 1976 | Blue Mtns and Northern Sydney,Bushfires | 18/12/76 | 3 |
| 1977 | Blue Mountains, NSW: Bushfire | 01/12/77 | 3 |
| 1979 | Sydney and Region, NSW: Bushfires | 01/12/79 | 5 |
| 1982 | Sydney and Southern Regions, NSW: Bushfires | 15/12/82 | 5 |
| 1984 | North-Western NSW: Bushfires | 01/09/84 | 4 |
| 1987 | Central-Western NSW: Bushfire | 01/12/87 | 3 |
| 1987 | Cootamundra and Deniliquin Regions, NSW: | 17/01/87 | 3 |
| 1990 | Sydney - Newcastle Region, NSW: Bushfires | 18/12/90 | |
| 1990 | Hay District, NSW: Bushfire | 21/11/90 | |
| 1990 | Murray Valley, Southern NSW / Northern Vic: | 03/01/90 | |
| 1991 | Western Sydney and Central Coast, NSW: | 16/10/91 | 2 |
| 1993 | Eastern Seaboard,Major Widespread Bushfires | 29/12/93 | 4 |
| 1994 | Coffs Harbour, NSW: Bushfire | 01/11/94 | |
| 1995 | Western Sydney/south coast, NSW: Bushfire | 01/12/95 | |
| 1996 | Hunter Valley, NSW: | 01/09/96 | |
| 1996 | Central Coast/Hunter Valley/south coast. | 15/08/96 | |
| 1996 | Holsworthy Army Base/Liverpool/Sydney | 01/11/96 | |
| 1996 | Sydney/north coast,Bushfire | 01/12/96 | |
| 1997 | Stuart Town, Wellington, NSW: | 01/11/97 | |
| 1997 | Central Coast, NSW: Bushfire | 06/04/97 | |
| 1997 | Sydney, Hunter, Pilliga Regions, NSW: | 20/11/97 | 3 |
| 1998 | Kosciuszko National Park, NSW: Bushfire | 01/02/98 | |
| 1998 | Lower Hunter Valley, NSW: Bushfire | 01/03/98 | |
| 1998 | Wingello/Moss Vale, NSW: Bushfire | 01/01/98 | 1 |
| 2000 | Kurri, Kurri, NSW: Bushfire | 22/12/00 | |
| 2000 | Sydney and Northern Regions, NSW: Bushfires | 07/11/00 | |
| 2001 | NW NSW : Bush Fire | 30/10/01 | |
| 2001 | Toukley NSW : Bushfire | 07/01/01 | |
| 2001 | Most Regions, NSW: Bushfires | 21/12/01 | |
| 2002 | Sydney, NSW: Bushfires | 09/10/02 | |
| 2002 | Northern NSW: Bushfire | 27/09/02 | |
| 2002 | Central Coast, QLD/NSW: Bushfires | 27/09/02 | |
| 2002 | Sydney, NSW: Bushfires | 04/12/02 | 2 |
| 2002 | Cessnock, NSW: Bushfire | 19/10/02 | 1 |
| 2002 | Lake Macquarie, NSW: Bushfires | 26/11/02 | |
| 2006 | NSW Bushfires | 24/09/06 | |
| 2006 | Bushfires: Sydney and South Coast, NSW | 24/09/06 | |
| 2006 | NSW New Year's Day fires | 01/01/06 | 1 |
During this period there were 90 Human fatalities
Source: Partially Referenced from: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA,
http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/webpages/HomePage?OpenDocument
(1) A. Brinkworth, New South Wales Rural Fires Service 2003, pers. comm. 15 August 2003; RFS 2003b
(2) NSW Rural Fire Service.
Australia-Victoria-Wildland-Fire-Statistics-2003
http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/inventory/database/Australia-Victoria-Wildland-Fire-Statistics-2003.doc.
Year Book Australia
Environment
Bushfires
Revised June 2009
