2013 Tasmanian bushfires

2013 Tasmanian bushfires
Fires at Forcett/Copping on 4 January
Date(s)January 2013 (2013-01)
LocationCentral Highlands, East coast (Bicheno), Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas, Tasmania, Australia
Coordinates41°52′S 148°17′E / 41.867°S 148.283°E / -41.867; 148.283
Statistics[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Burned area20,000 hectares (49,000 acres)
Land useMixed, residential and national parks
Impacts
Deaths1 firefighter
Non-fatal injuriesUnknown
Structures destroyedAt least 170
(including 30 homes)
Damagec. A$69 million
Ignition
Cause
  • Lightning
  • Abandoned campfire
  • Accidental (Forcett fire)
2013 Tasmanian bushfires is located in Tasmania
2013 Tasmanian bushfires
2013 Tasmanian bushfires
2013 Tasmanian bushfires
2013 Tasmanian bushfires
2013 Tasmanian bushfires
2013 Tasmanian bushfires
class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires in Tasmania

The 2013 Tasmanian bushfires were a series of bushfires which occurred in south-eastern Tasmania, Australia, between November 2012 and late April 2013.[7][8] The fires burnt approximately 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) of mixed resident land and native forest.

It was predicted[by whom?] early on that the 2012-13 fire season had the potential to be worse than usual. High fuel loads coupled with dry, hot and windy conditions pointed to potential danger. The Tasmania Fire Service implemented a media campaign intended to increase community preparedness and awareness of what to do if bushfires threatened, however, nobody predicted that the fire season would last for almost 6 months, a duration unprecedented in recorded Tasmanian history.

  1. ^ "Smoke to continue to affect Southern Tasmania". The Examiner. Tasmania. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. ^ Dawtrey, Zara (4 January 2013). "Firies struggle as heat rises". The Mercury. Hobart. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. ^ Tasmania Police Media & Communications (8 January 2013). "Forcett fire - cause determined". Tasmanian Police (Press release). Government of Tasmania. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013. The cause has been determined as of an accidental nature with the fire emanating from an old fire in a burnt out tree stump at Forcett.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Police search was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference DT2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Sands, Mark (18 January 2013). "New Tasmanian fire destroys 30 homes". Post Online. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  7. ^ Kempton, Helen (4 December 2012). "Our Fantastic Firies". The Mercury. Hobart. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Busy Day for Fire Crews". The Mercury. Hobart. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.