2019-2020 Australian Bushfires

The bushfires burned more than 46 million acres (72,000 square miles) – roughly the same area as the entire country of Syria. At least 3,500 homes and thousands of other buildings were lost and 34 people died in the thousands of fires between September 2019 and March 2020. The majority of deaths and destruction were in New South Wales (NSW), while the Northern Territory accounted for approximately 1/3 of the burned area. At least 80% of the Blue Mountains World Heritage area in NSW and 53% of the Gondwana world heritage rainforests in Queensland (QLD) were burned. Many of the other buildings that were lost were farm buildings, adding to the challenge of agricultural recovery that is already complex because of ash-covered farmland accompanied by historic levels of drought.

The Insurance Council estimated that between November and the middle of February – when most fires were under control – bushfire losses were approximately $A1.9 billion (US$1.3 billion) in insured claims. It may not be possible to completely calculate the economic loss from the bushfires because of the difficulties in evaluating intangible losses such as loss of income and productivity, as well as the confluence with the impact from COVID-19. A survey conducted in January 2020 found that 26% of Australian businesses had already been affected by the bushfires. Some estimates have stated that the overall economic impact will exceed the infamous Black Saturday fires that cost $A4.4 billion (US$2.9 billion). There was also a significant impact on Australian fishing and tourism industries, which was compounded by lockdowns and travel bans related to COVID-19.

Several firefighters – called firies in Australia – were killed or injured. Many firefighters were volunteers and laid-off fire management staff who were asked to report back to work without pay.

University of Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman estimates more than a billion animals – including 800,000 in NSW – perished from the bushfires. His estimate is based on his research for the World Wide Fund for Nature, which found that in every hectare (2.5 acres) approximately “there are 17.5 mammals, 20.7 birds and 129.5 reptiles.” This is multiplied by the number of acres destroyed to get the total estimate.

Several endangered species are also facing the risk of total extinction. For example, more than a third of the koala population is thought to have been killed, while the loss of habitat will also significantly impact the species’ recovery. A study from Australia’s government found that 471 plants and 191 invertebrates were affected by the fires, with the most severely affected species losing at least 30% of their habitat. In addition, ranchers lost a large number of livestock.

Smoke from the fires darkened the skies in New Zealand, and continued to circle the globe for more than three months. According to an article in stuff.co.nz, “Niwa (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) atmospheric scientist Dr Richard Querel said it was remarkable to be able to track a smoke plume for more than 100 days.”