Australia

Australia Wildfires Burn 865K Acres, Destroy 300 Buildings

Are fossil fuels making bushfires worse, or are they just a natural part of Australia's environment?

Published JAN 12

Australia Wildfires Burn 865K Acres, Destroy 300 Buildings

Story

Above: A bushfire burning near the town of Longwood, northern Victoria, on Jan. 7. Image credit: Kylie Shingles/CFA Wandong Fire Brigade/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

The bushfires in Australia's Victoria have destroyed more than 300 structures — including approximately 80 homes — and burned through over 350,000 hectares (nearly 865,000 acres) of land. The Longwood fire alone destroyed about 150 structures, while 47 homes and three businesses were lost in Harcourt.
guardian
The New York Times
The Australian
A man who died in the Victorian bushfires has been identified as local cattle farmer Maxwell Hobson, who owned a 101-hectare property in Terip Terip with his wife. His body was found about 100 meters from a car on Yarck Road at Gobur on Sunday afternoon.
The Age
News.com.au
Victoria Police
More than 30 fires were burning across Victoria on Sunday, with authorities warning the blazes could continue for several weeks. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch stated that dangerous fire conditions were expected to return "within a 7-to-10 day cycle."
Independent
Australian Financial Review
Sky News Australia
The fires are considered the worst to hit southeastern Australia since the 2019-2020 Black Summer blazes, which destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. Thousands of firefighters and over 70 aircraft have been deployed to combat the current fires.
guardian
The New York Times
New York Post
Bushfire smoke has impacted air quality across Victoria, including metropolitan Melbourne, with the Environment Protection Authority forecasting widespread poor air quality. A total fire ban remained in place across the state due to continued dry and windy conditions.
guardian
Observer Voice
10 News Melbourne on Facebook
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced assistance payments, including up to $52,250 for eligible uninsured households and one-off payments of $1,000 for adults and $400 per child. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also pledged federal support totaling $19.5 million.
Jacinta Allan on X
Anthony Albanese on X
Newsweek

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The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Climate pollution from burning fossil fuels is turbocharging bushfire danger across Australia, making fires more extreme and harder to control. Hotter temperatures, longer droughts and declining rainfall are creating catastrophic conditions that fuel megafires and deadly fire-generated thunderstorms. The evidence is undeniable: nine of Australia's hottest years have occurred since 2005, fire seasons are lengthening and millions now live in harm's way.

Climate Council

Climate-skeptic narrative

Bushfires are a natural and essential part of the Australian environment that have occurred for thousands of years. Hot, dry and windy weather combined with available fuel creates fire risk, a reality Australians have always managed. Lightning strikes and natural weather patterns drive bushfire activity across different regions during traditional seasonal peaks. Indigenous land management practices have historically reduced risks and shaped landscapes.