2016 Tasmanian bushfires

2016 Tasmanian Bushfires
Cushion plant and pencil pine, Lake Mackenzie fire, Tasmania
Location	Central Highlands as well multiple locations in Western, North-Western, South Western and Southern Tasmania
Statistics
Date(s)	January 2016-autumn 2016
Burned area	100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) +
Cause	Lightning, arson
Land use	World Heritage reserves,
Injuries	1 firefighter

The 2016 Tasmanian Bushfires were a large series of bushfires in Tasmania which started in January 2016 throughout the state, and continued into February 2016, with considerable damage to fire sensitive areas in the Central Highlands, West Coast and South West regions. By autumn 2016, no bushfires were reported within the state.

Over the first 20 days of the fires, the actual number reported was larger in number, however at least 70 separate fires had been listed in the North West, West, South West and Central Highland areas of the island.

These fires are different from the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires due to their spread, and to the large number being started by lightning strikes, and from the 1967 Tasmanian bushfires with no loss of human life.

Although not significant in terms of property loss, the impact on the Central Highlands and the World Heritage Area lands has been claimed to be catastrophic. the destruction of the heritage areas achieved international attention.

The Overland Track was evacuated due to the fires. The north west fires were well documented in the local newspaper the Advocate in the fires of the 21st of January.

Due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of a large number of fires, rainfall after the fires started was not enough to extinguish them and was also hindering firefighters.

The fires continued on into February 2016, with containment of only a limited number of fires.

The Tasmania Fire Service chief officer Gavin Freeman claimed little harm was done to the heritage areas stating that 18,000 hectares of heritage area as being the area affected. The Tasmanian Tourism Industry Council chief executive officer Luke Martin subsequently made a claim that 11,000ha of the world heritage area was affected.

The total burnt area in all areas has been stated to be above 95,000 hectares (234,750 acres).

The modelling, supplied by University of Tasmania environment postdoctoral fellow Dr Grant Williamson, reveals more than 14 per cent of the 97,000ha burnt by the recent fires were in World Heritage Areas — an area that latest TFS figures suggest has increased — and another 25 per cent in conservation or national park areas.