1993–94 Australian bushfire season

1993–94 Australian bushfire season
Date(s)October 1993 – January 1994
LocationNew South Wales and Queensland, Australia
Statistics
Burned area70,000+ ha
Impacts
Deaths3
Non-fatal injuries29+
Sydney Bushfire smoke in January 1994

A major bushfire occurred in southern Queensland, Australia, in October 1993, and several major bushfires occurred in New South Wales from December 1993 to January 1994. 3 people were killed in New South Wales by the fires and more than 29 were injured. More than 70,000 ha were destroyed in New South Wales.

State Start date Deaths Injuries Houses lost Area (ha) Local govt. Impacted communities & destruction Duration Ref.
QLD 10 October 1993 3 Somerset Coominya & Esk
  • 4 caravans destroyed
 [1]
NSW 27 December 1993 1 4 Clarence Valley Maclean [2][3]
NSW 30 December 1993 11 15,000 ha (37,000 acres) Cessnock & Singleton Bucketty
  • 16 non-residential structures, 4 caravans and 3 vehicles destroyed
  • A tourist railway damaged
 17 days [4][5][6]
NSW 1 January 1994 5+ 12,500 ha (31,000 acres) Hornsby

Brooklyn, Canoelands & Wisemans Ferry

  • A garage and several non-residential buildings destroyed
 [4][5][7]
NSW 3 January 1994 24 Gosford Cogra Bay, Kariong, Peats Ridge, Somersby & Tascott
  • Several non-residential structures destroyed, including a service station
  • 8 houses damaged
 12 days [4][5][8]
NSW 3 January 1994 1 4 Lake Macquarie & Newcastle Bennetts Green, Charlestown, Glendale & Wallsend
  • A retail property, a wrecker's yard and several other non-residential structures destroyed
  • 8 houses damaged
 11 days [4][5][9][10]
NSW 4 January 1994 5 50,000 ha (120,000 acres) Blue Mountains & Hawkesbury Hawkesbury Heights
  • 26 non-residential structures destroyed, including a youth hostel
  • 26 houses and 84 non-residential structures damaged
 11 days [4][5][11][12]
NSW 5 January 1994 2 2,000 ha (4,900 acres) Eurobodalla & Shoalhaven

Sussex Inlet

6 days [4][5][13]
NSW 6 January 1994 5+ 17 370 ha (910 acres) Willoughby & Ku-ring-gai Macquarie Park, West Chatswood, West Killara & Lindfield
  • Ku-ring-gai College and at least 3 houses damaged
 [4][5][14][15][16]
NSW 6 January 1994 2 Port Stephens —
  • 8 non-residential structures destroyed, including dog kennels
  • A timber factory damaged
 8 days [4][5][17]
NSW 7 January 1994 1 20+ 101 480 ha (1,200 acres) Sutherland

Alfords Point, Bangor, Bonnet Bay, Como & Jannali

  • 14 non-residential structures destroyed, including Como West Presbyterian Church
  • 48 vehicles destroyed
  • 90 houses and 11 non-residential structures damaged, including Como West Public School
 6 days [4][5][13][18][19][20]
NSW 7 January 1994 36 11,000 ha (27,000 acres) Pittwater & Warringah Bayview, Cromer, Elanora Heights, Elvina Bay, Ingleside, Lovett Bay & Warriewood
  • 4 non-residential structures destroyed, including a service station
  • 16 vehicles destroyed
  • 43 houses and 87 non-residential structures damaged
 6 days [4][5][13][14][21][22][23]

References

  1. ^ Clark, Peter (11 October 1993). "Bushfire law to duplicate NSW's". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  2. ^ "Firefighters bracing for worst as winds pick up". The Canberra Times. 5 January 1994. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  3. ^ Harry Woods, Member for Page (3 February 1994). "NEW SOUTH WALES BUSHFIRES". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. pp. 270–271.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Paxton, Gilly; Bell, Anne, eds. (1994). "Table 1; Emergency Appointments". Bush Fire Bulletin. 16 (1). Department of Bush Fire Services: 45. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Paxton, Gilly, ed. (1994). "Corrections to the Last Issue of the Bulletin; Table 3, Losses by Local Government Area". Bush Fire Bulletin. 16 (2). Department of Bush Fire Services: 25. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  6. ^ Fitzpatrick, Eamonn (10 January 1994). "Central Coast optimism". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 4.
  7. ^ Phillip Ruddock, Member for Berowra (3 February 1994). "NEW SOUTH WALES BUSHFIRES". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. pp. 276–277.
  8. ^ Tubb, Rochelle (30 January 1994). "Bush houses lost in fire". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 20.
  9. ^ Peter Morris, Member for Shortland (3 February 1994). "New South Wales Bushfires". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. pp. 278–279.
  10. ^ Sandham, Sonya; Nicole Taylor (4 January 1994). "Fires force hundreds to flee". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 1.
  11. ^ "At Sydney on Friday, 31 May 2002" (PDF). Joint Select Committee on Bushfires. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  12. ^ Davey, Karen (16 January 1994). "Life's work gone in 2 fatal hours". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 16.
  13. ^ a b c "Prayers answered as fires ease". The Canberra Times. 10 January 1994. p. 1. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  14. ^ a b Connell, Jennifer; Keith Gosman (10 January 1994). "Spot fires keep suburbs on alert". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 2.
  15. ^ Mullins, G. "The Interface Fire Problem – An Urban Fire Service Perspective" (PDF). New South Wales Fire Brigades. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  16. ^ Cantlon, Gavin; Steve Warnock; Robyn Willis (9 January 1994). "Mates rescue war veterans". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 4.
  17. ^ Robert Horne, Member for Paterson (3 February 1994). "New South Wales Bushfires". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. pp. 282–284.
  18. ^ Mutton, Sheree (9 January 2014). "Shire fire horror still lingers 20 years on". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  19. ^ Scott Morrison, Member for Cook (11 February 2009). "Victorian Bushfire Victims – Condolences". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. p. 1018.
  20. ^ Gilmore, Helen; Rochelle Tubb (16 January 1994). "Nature's violence unites a community". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 14.
  21. ^ Westbrook, Tom (22 September 2014). "NSW Conservation Council calls for review of 10/50 vegetation clearing code". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  22. ^ David Miles Connolly, Member for Bradfield (3 February 1994). "NEW SOUTH WALES BUSHFIRES". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. pp. 268–270.
  23. ^ Chater, Jenny; Steve Offner (13 January 1994). "'We didn't even know it was close'". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 46.