What were the Black Summer bushfires?
The Black Summer bushfires were a series of catastrophic fires that burned across southeastern Australia during the summer of 2019 and 2020. They burned more than 24 million hectares and killed 33 people directly.
The fires followed years of drought and record heat. They began in late 2019 and burned for months in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT.
More than 3,000 homes were destroyed. Towns such as Mallacoota in Victoria were cut off, and residents and holidaymakers sheltered on the beach before being evacuated by navy ships.
Impact on wildlife
Scientists estimated that nearly three billion animals were killed or displaced, including koalas, kangaroos, birds and reptiles. Large areas of forest, including parts of the Gondwana Rainforests, were burned.
Smoke from the fires spread across Australia and to other countries, causing health problems. Canberra and Sydney experienced some of the worst air quality in the world for several days.
A Royal Commission into national natural disaster arrangements was held in 2020. The fires led to debates about climate change, land management and emergency response.