2019–20 Australian bushfire season

Starting from late July early September 2019, fires heavily impacted various regions of the state of New South Wales, such as the North Coast, Mid North Coast, the Hunter Region, the Hawkesbury and the Wollondilly in Sydney's far west, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and the South Coast, Riverina and Snowy Mountains with more than 100 fires burnt across the state. In eastern and north-eastern Victoria, large areas of forest burnt out of control for four weeks before the fires emerged from the forests in late December, taking lives, threatening many towns and isolating Corryong and Mallacoota. A state of disaster was declared for East Gippsland.{{cite news |title=Victorian fires: state of disaster declared as evacuation ordered and 28 people missing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/03/victoria-fires-state-of-disaster-declared-as-evacuation-ordered-and-second-man-found-dea |access-date=3 January 2020 |agency=Australian Associated Press |work=Guardian Australia |date=3 January 2020}} Significant fires occurred in the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island in South Australia and parts of the ACT. Moderately affected areas were south-eastern Queensland and areas of south-western Western Australia, with a few areas in Tasmania being mildly impacted.

File:Seaford 34, after a burn over at Cudlee Creek.jpg

File:Cudlee Creek fire from Lobethal.jpg]]

On 12 November 2019 catastrophic fire danger was declared in the Greater Sydney region for the first time since the introduction of this level in 2009 and a total fire ban was in place for seven regions of New South Wales, including Greater Sydney.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-20/nsw-bushfire-catastrophic-fire-danger-forecast-for-saturday/11818896 |title=Homes may be lost, RFS warns ahead of heat surge |last=Elsworthy |first=Emma |date=20 December 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228052625/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-20/nsw-bushfire-catastrophic-fire-danger-forecast-for-saturday/11818896 |archive-date=28 December 2019 |url-status=live}} The Illawarra and Greater Hunter areas also experienced catastrophic fire dangers, and so did other parts of the state, including the already fire ravaged parts of northern New South Wales.{{cite web |url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6483618/catastrophic-fire-danger-forecast-for-nsw/ |title=Catastrophic fire danger forecast for NSW |author1=McNab, Heather |author2=Stephens, Jodie |date=10 November 2019 |website=Illawarra Mercury |access-date=17 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117153933/https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6483618/catastrophic-fire-danger-forecast-for-nsw/ |archive-date=17 November 2019 |url-status=live}} The political ramifications of the fire season have been significant. A decision by the New South Wales Government to cut funding to fire services based on budget estimates, as well as a holiday taken by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, during a period in which two volunteer firefighters died, and his perceived apathy towards the situation, resulted in controversy.

{{As of|2020|1|14}}, {{convert|18.626|e6ha|e6acre|abbr=off}} had burnt or was burning across all Australian states and territories. Ecologists from The University of Sydney estimated 480 million mammals, birds, and reptiles were lost since September with concerns that entire species of plants and animals may have been wiped out by bushfire,{{cite web |url=https://www.ntnews.com.au/technology/half-a-billion-animals-perish-in-bushfires/news-story/b316adb4f3af7b1c8464cf186ab9f52c |title=Half a billion animals perish in bushfires |last=O'Niell |first=Marnie |date=1 January 2020 |website=Northern Territory News |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite journal |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/fires-rage-across-australia-fears-grow-rare-species |author=Pickrell, J. |title=As fires rage across Australia, fears grow for rare species |journal=Science |date=17 December 2019 |doi=10.1126/science.aba6144 |s2cid=213401478 |access-date=17 January 2020}} later expanded to more than a billion.{{cite news |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/australian-wildfires-480-million-animals-dead_n_5e0d58e5e4b0b2520d1cb47f |title=Nearly Half A Billion Animals Feared Dead in Australian Wildfires |last=Harvey |first=Josephine |date=2 January 2020 |work=HuffPost |access-date=3 January 2020}}

In February 2020 it was reported that researchers from Charles Sturt University found that the deaths of nine smoky mice were from "severe lung disease" caused by smoke haze that contained PM2.5 particles coming from bushfires 50 kilometres away.{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-27/smoky-mice-die-from-bushfire-smoke-inhalation/12005790 |title=These native mice died from 'severe lung disease' after breathing bushfire smoke for just a few days |last=Midena |first=Kate |date=27 February 2020 |website=ABC News |access-date=28 February 2020}}

By the time the fires had been extinguished there, they destroyed 2,448 homes, as well as 284 facilities and more than 5,000 outbuildings in New South Wales alone. Twenty-six people were confirmed to have been killed in New South Wales since October. The last fatality reported was on 23 January 2020 following the death of a man near Moruya.

In New South Wales, the fires burnt through more land than any other blazes in the past 25 years, in addition to being the state's worst bushfire season on record.{{cite web |author1=Alexander, Harriet |author2=Chung, Laura |author3=Chrysanthos, Natassia |author4=Drevikovsky, Janek |author5=Brickwood, James |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/extraordinary-2019-ends-with-deadliest-day-of-the-worst-fire-season-20191231-p53nw0.html |title='Extraordinary' 2019 ends with deadliest day of the worst fire season |date=31 December 2019 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=1 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-bushfires-burn-through-more-land-than-any-other-blazes-in-past-25-years |title=NSW bushfires burn through more land than any other blazes in past 25 years |date=18 November 2019 |website=SBS News |location=Australia |access-date=1 January 2020}}{{cite news |author1=Hurley, Brendan |author2=Taylor, Catherine |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-27/firefighter-veteran-on-worst-bushfire-season-in-memory/11825364 |title=I've been a firefighter for 20 years. The Blue Mountains bushfires are the worst conditions I've ever faced |date=27 January 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=1 January 2020}} NSW also experienced the longest continuously burning bushfire complex in Australia's history, having burnt more than {{convert|4|e6ha|acre}}, with {{convert|70|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-high}} flames being reported.{{cite news |author=Mullins, Greg |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/come-with-me-to-the-mega-blaze-scott-morrison-and-see-what-we-re-up-against-20191216-p53kcp.html |title=Opinion: Come with me to the mega-blaze, Scott Morrison, and see what we're up against |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=17 December 2019 |access-date=2 January 2020}} In comparison, the 2018 California wildfires consumed {{convert|800000|ha|acre}} and the 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires burnt {{convert|900000|ha}} of land.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50951043 |title=Australia fires: A visual guide to the bushfires and extreme heat |date=31 December 2019 |website=BBC News |access-date=2 January 2020}}

Whereas these bushfires are regarded by the NSW Rural Fire Service as the worst bushfire season in memory for that state,{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/worst-bushfire-conditions-ever-seen-unprecedented-danger-is-a-firefighters-nightmare/news-story/04ebdcf6ae95c04923cd91dd2486aeed |title=Worst bushfire conditions ever seen: Unprecedented danger is 'a firefighter's nightmare' |date=12 November 2019 |website=News.com.au |access-date=1 January 2020}} the 1974–75 bushfires were nationally much larger{{efn|name=fn1}} consuming {{convert|117|e6ha|e6acre km2 sqmi|abbr=off|lk=on}}.{{cite web |title=New South Wales, December 1974 Bushfire – New South Wales |url=https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/bushfire-new-south-wales-1974/ |website=Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience |publisher=Government of Australia |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113201506/https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/bushfire-new-south-wales-1974/ |archive-date=13 January 2020 |quote=roughly around 117 million ha. |url-status=live}} However, due to their lower intensity and remote location, the 1974 fires caused around {{AUD}}5 million (approximately {{AUD}}36.5 million in 2020{{cite web |url=https://www.in2013dollars.com/australia/inflation/1975?amount=5000000 |title=Conversion from 1975 to 2020 dollars |publisher=Official Data Foundation |date=15 January 2020 |access-date=15 January 2020}}) in damage. In December 2019 the New South Wales Government declared a state of emergency after record-breaking temperatures and prolonged drought exacerbated the bushfires.{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/australia-declares-state-emergency-heatwave-fans-bushfires-191219004935370.html |title=Australia declares state of emergency as heatwave fans bushfires |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219014150/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/australia-declares-state-emergency-heatwave-fans-bushfires-191219004935370.html |archive-date=19 December 2019 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50837025 |title=Australia all-time temperature record broken again |work=BBC News |date=19 December 2019 |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218232452/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50837025 |archive-date=18 December 2019 |url-status=live}}

Due to safety concerns and significant public pressure, New Year's Eve fireworks displays were cancelled across New South Wales including highly popular events at Campbelltown, Liverpool, Parramatta, and across Sydney's Northern Beaches, and as well in the nation's capital of Canberra.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/councils-cancel-new-years-eve-fireworks-as-fire-risk-rises/11832462 |title=Councils cancel New Years Eve fireworks as fire risk rises |date=30 December 2019 |website=ABC Radio |location=Australia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231052533/https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/councils-cancel-new-years-eve-fireworks-as-fire-risk-rises/11832462 |archive-date=31 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-s-new-year-s-eve-fireworks-to-go-ahead-some-suburbs-cancelled-20191230-p53noh.html |title=Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks to go ahead, some suburbs cancelled |author1=Chung, Natassia |author2=Chrysanthos, Laura |date=30 December 2019 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230143949/https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-s-new-year-s-eve-fireworks-to-go-ahead-some-suburbs-cancelled-20191230-p53noh.html |archive-date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019}} As temperatures reached {{convert|49|C|F}}, the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian called a fresh seven-day state of emergency with effect from 9 am on 3 January 2020.

On 23 January 2020, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules air tanker (N134CG) crashed at Peak View near Cooma while waterbombing a blaze. The aircraft was destroyed, resulting in the death of the three American crew members on board.{{cite news |last1=Bungard |first1=Matt |last2=Mellis |first2=Eilidh |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/air-tanker-fighting-bushfires-reportedly-crashes-in-snowy-mountains-20200123-p53u3r.html |title=Three dead as air tanker fighting bushfires crashes near Snowy Mountains |access-date=23 January 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=23 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-23/nsw-rfs-air-tanker-crashes-near-numeralla-bushfire/11893554 |title=Three dead after Large Air Tanker crashes while fighting bushfires in southern NSW |publisher=ABC Online |date=23 January 2020 |access-date=23 January 2020}} It was one of eleven large air tankers brought to Australia for the fire season from Canada and US.{{Cite web |url=https://fireaviation.com/2020/01/04/australian-prime-minister-says-four-more-large-air-tankers-will-be-ordered/ |title=Australian Prime Minister says four more large air tankers will be ordered |work=Fire Aviation |date=4 January 2020 |last1=Gabbert |first1=Bill }} Reaching the crash site proved difficult due to the active bushfires in the area. The crash was located in dense bushland, and spanned approximately {{convert|1|km|mi}}.{{Cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/atsb-investigates-nsw-firefighting-plane-crash-that-killed-three-us-firefighters-c-663381 |title='Complicated': More details of doomed plane emerge after deadly crash |date=24 January 2020 |website=7news.com.au |access-date=26 January 2020}} An investigation was begun by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to determine the cause of the accident.{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-bushfires-idUSKBN1ZM31H |title=Probe into fatal Australia bushfire plane crash complicated by dangers |date=24 January 2020 |work=Reuters |access-date=26 January 2020}}

A preliminary ATSB report was released on 28 February. One fact determined was that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was faulty and " … had not recorded any audio from the accident flight." {{As of|2020|12}} the investigation had not been completed.{{cite press release |title=News: C-130 large air tanker accident |url=https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/news-items/2020/c130-large-air-tanker-accident/ |website=www.atsb.gov.au |publisher=Australian Transport Safety Bureau |access-date=7 January 2021 |quote= … unfortunately the CVR had not recorded any audio from the accident flight. Instead, all recovered audio was from a previous flight when the aircraft was operating in the United States.}}

On 31 January 2020, the Australian Capital Territory declared a state of emergency in areas around Canberra{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51338314 |title=Canberra escapes worst as fires rage on |date=1 February 2020 |work=BBC News |access-date=4 February 2020}} as several bushfires threatened the city, having burnt {{convert|60000|ha}}.{{Cite web |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6611016/southerly-change-creates-challenge-for-fire-crews/ |title=Southerly change creates challenge for fire crews |last=Brown |first=Andrew |date=3 February 2020 |website=The Canberra Times |access-date=4 February 2020}}

File:2019-12-07 East Australian Fires Aqua MODIS-VIIRS-LABELS.png satellite imagery on 7 December 2019, overlaid with markers showing bushfires across the east coast of Australia]]

On 7 February 2020, it was reported that torrential rain across most of south-east Australia had extinguished a third of extant fires;{{Cite news |last=Cox |first=Lisa |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/07/massive-relief-torrential-rain-douses-bushfires-across-parts-of-australia |title='Massive relief': torrential rain douses bushfires across parts of Australia |date=7 February 2020 |work=The Guardian |access-date=8 February 2020 |issn=0261-3077}} with only a small number of uncontrolled fires remaining by 10 February.

The Garnaut Climate Change Review of 2008 stated:{{cite web |url=http://www.garnautreview.org.au/chp5.htm |title=The Garnaut Climate Change Review |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |date=30 September 2008 |author=Garnaut, Ross |author-link=Ross Garnaut |access-date=11 January 2020 |archive-date=9 May 2019 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20190509072839/http://www.garnautreview.org.au/chp5.htm |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/australian-bushfires-garnaut-report-predicts-observable-increase-of-fire-intensity-by-2020-c-636017 |title=Australian bushfires: Garnaut report predicts 'observable' increase of fire intensity by 2020 |author=Woolley, Summer |work=7news.com.au |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=11 January 2020}}

{{blockquote|Recent projections of fire weather (Lucas, et al., 2007){{cite web |url=http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/2007/hennesseykj_c.pdf |title=Bushfire Weather in Southeast Australia: Recent Trends and Projected Climate Change Impacts |publisher=CSIRO |author1=Lucas, C. |author2=Hennedssy, K. |author3=Mills, G. |author4=Bathols, J. |date=September 2007 |access-date=11 January 2020}} suggest that fire seasons will start earlier, end slightly later, and generally be more intense. This effect increases over time, but should be directly observable by 2020.}}

To describe emerging fire trends the study by Lucas and others defined two new fire weather categories, "very extreme" and "catastrophic".

The analysis by the Bushfire CRC, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research found that the number of "very high" fire danger days generally increases 2–13% by 2020 for the low scenarios (global increase by {{convert|0.4|C-change}}) and 10–30% for the high scenarios (global increase by {{convert|1.0|C-change}}). The number of "extreme" fire danger days generally increases 5–25% by 2020 for the low scenarios and 15–65% for the high scenarios.

File:Bushfire smoke over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge in December 2019.jpg and Sydney Harbour Bridge on 29 December]]In April 2019 a group of former Australian fire services chiefs, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, warned that Australia was not prepared for the upcoming fire season. They called on the next prime minister{{efn|A Federal election was scheduled for May 2019.}} to meet the former emergency service leaders "who will outline, unconstrained by their former employers, how climate change risks are rapidly escalating".{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/09/former-fire-chiefs-warn-australia-unprepared-for-escalating-climate-threat |title=Former fire chiefs warn Australia unprepared for escalating climate threat |work=Guardian Australia |author=Cox, Lisa |date=10 April 2019 |access-date=7 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-14/former-fire-chief-calls-out-pm-over-refusal-of-meeting/11705330 |title=Former fire chiefs 'tried to warn Scott Morrison' to bring in more water-bombers ahead of horror bushfire season |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=15 November 2019 |access-date=7 January 2020}} Greg Mullins, the second-longest serving fire and rescue commissioner in New South Wales and now a councillor with the Climate Council, said he thought the coming summer was going to be "the worst I have ever seen" for fire crews, and renewed his calls for the government to take urgent action to address climate change and stop Australia's rising emissions.

In August 2019 the federally funded Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC published a seasonal outlook report which advised of "above normal fire potential" for southern and southeast Queensland, the east coast areas of New South Wales and Victoria, for parts of Western Australia and South Australia.{{cite web |url=https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/63 |title=Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: August 2019 – HAZARD NOTES |date=28 August 2019 |work=Bushfire and Natural Hazards |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=7 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-28/bushfire-outlook-not-good-news-but-will-we-heed-the-warnings/11434778 |title=Bushfire outlook for 2019–20 not good news, but will we heed the warnings? |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=28 August 2019 |author=Doyle, Kate |access-date=7 January 2020}} In December 2019, the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC updated their advice of "above normal fire potential".{{cite web |url=https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/68 |title=Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: December 2019 – HAZARD NOTES |date=16 December 2019 |work=Bushfire and Natural Hazards |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=7 January 2020}}

The Australian National University reported that the area burned in 2019–2020 was "well below average" due to low fuel levels and fire activity in unpopulated parts of Northern Australia, but that "despite low fire activity overall, vast forest fires occurred in southeast Australia from southeast Queensland to Kangaroo Island."{{cite web |title=Australia's Environment Mid-Year Update 2019/2020 |url=https://www.wenfo.org/aer/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ausenv_2020MYU.pdf |access-date=19 September 2023 |publisher=Australian National University |page=2 |quote=The total area moderately to severely burnt in 2019/20 was 30m ha and well below average}}

File:2019 Black Summer Bushfires from Blue Mountains, New South Wales 03.jpg west of Sydney.]]

The NSW statutory Bush Fire Danger Period normally begins on 1 October and continues through until 31 March.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/BFDP |title=Bush Fire Danger Period and Fire Permits |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=n.d. |access-date=25 January 2020}} In 2019–20, the fire season started early with drought affecting 95 percent of the state and persistent dry and warm conditions across the state.{{cite journal |title=Winter fires ravage northern NSW |journal=Bushfire Bulletin: The Journal of the NSW Rural Fire Service |year=2019 |volume=41 |issue=2 |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/131479/Bush-Fire-Bulletin-Vol41-No2.pdf |access-date=25 January 2020 |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |page=2 |issn=1033-7598}} Twelve local government areas started the Bush Fire Danger Period two months early, on 1 August 2019,{{cite press release |title=NSW RFS declares start of Bush Fire Danger Period |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/nsw-rfs-declares-start-of-bush-fire-danger-period |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=1 August 2019 |access-date=25 January 2020}} and nine more started on 17 August 2019.{{Cite press release |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/nsw-rfs-declares-start-of-bush-fire-danger-period2 |title=NSW RFS declares start of Bush Fire Danger Period |date=15 August 2019 |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |access-date=25 January 2020}} In the week preceding 10 February 2020, a wide band of heavy rain swept through most of coastal New South Wales, extinguishing a significant number of fires; it left 33 active fires, of which five were uncontrolled, all located in the Bega Valley and Snowy Mountains regions.{{cite news |author=Cox, Lisa |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/10/rain-deluge-in-eastern-australia-set-to-extinguish-nsw-bushfires-this-week |title=Rain deluge in eastern Australia set to extinguish NSW bushfires this week |work=Guardian Australia |date=10 February 2020 |access-date=15 February 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51409551 |title=Australia fires: Heavy rain extinguishes third of blazes in NSW |date=7 February 2020 |website=BBC News |location=Australia |access-date=7 February 2020}} Between July 2019 and 13 February 2020, the NSW Rural Fire Service reported that 11,264 bush or grass fires burnt {{convert|5.4|e6ha|e6acre|abbr=off}}, destroyed 2,439 homes, and approximately {{convert|24|ML|e6impgal e6USgal|abbr=off}} of fire retardant was used.{{cite news |author=Mao, Frances |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51498193 |title=Australia weather: How much rain did it take to put out NSW fires? |work=BBC News |location=United Kingdom |date=14 February 2020 |access-date=16 February 2020}}

On 6 September 2019, the northern parts of the state experienced extreme fire dangers. Fires included the Long Gully Road fire near Drake which burnt until the end of October, killing two people and destroying 43 homes;{{cite press release |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/update-on-northern-nsw-bush-fires2 |title=Update on Northern NSW bush fires |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=16 October 2019 |access-date=19 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115065320/https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/update-on-northern-nsw-bush-fires2 |archive-date=15 November 2019 |url-status=live}} the Mount McKenzie Road fire which burnt across the southern outskirts of Tenterfield, and severely injured one person, destroyed one home and badly damaged four homes; and the Bees Nest fire near Ebor which burnt until 12 November and destroyed seven homes.{{cite press release |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/property-losses-from-recent-nsw-bush-fires |title=Property losses from recent NSW bush fires |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=17 September 2019 |access-date=19 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231052535/https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/property-losses-from-recent-nsw-bush-fires |archive-date=31 December 2019 |url-status=live}}

A major fire began in Chaelundi State Forest, west of Nymbodia, Fire spread south west of Grafton during an intense growth period of the fire where it became a PyroCumulonimbus{{Cite web |title=Firestorm creates its own weather – Clarence Valley Independent |date=13 November 2019 |url=https://clarencevalleynews.com.au/firestorm-creates-its-own-weather/ |access-date=2024-04-01}} and over ran the village of Nymboida, destroying 80 houses.{{cite news|title=rebuilding them is still a long way off |work=ABC News | date=8 December 2019 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-08/bushfire-victims-in-nymboida-still-at-clean-up-stage-a-month-on/11769330 | access-date=1 April 2024}} Smaller fires in the area include the Myall Creek Road fire.

In the Port Macquarie-Hastings area, the first fire was reported at Lindfield Park on 18 July 2019,{{cite news |url=https://www.manningrivertimes.com.au/story/6589950/state-of-emergency-declaration-in-mid-coast-to-be-revoked/ |title=Latest section 44 declaration in Mid Coast area to be revoked on January 21 |newspaper=Manning River Times |date=21 January 2020 |access-date=5 February 2020}} burning in dry peat swamp and threatened homes at Sovereign Hills and crossed the Pacific Highway at Sancrox. On 12 February 2020, the fire was declared extinguished after 210 days, having burnt {{convert|858|ha|acre}}, of which approximately {{convert|400|ha|acre}} was underground;{{cite news |author=Bungard, Matt |url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/fire-near-port-macquarie-extinguished-after-210-days-20200212-p54078.html |title=Fire near Port Macquarie extinguished after 210 days |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=12 February 2020 |access-date=15 February 2020}}{{cite news |author=Mascarenhas, Carla |url=https://www.portnews.com.au/story/6600390/rain-eases-fire-conditions-but-its-not-over-yet/ |title=Rain eases conditions in the Hastings but RFS warn to be vigilant |newspaper=Port Macquarie News |date=28 January 2020 |access-date=5 February 2020}} near the Port Macquarie Airport.{{cite news |author=Dougherty, Robert |url=https://www.portnews.com.au/story/6429452/bushfire-burns-off-north-shore-beach/ |title=NSW Rural Fire Service crews are battling a bushfire at Port Macquarie's North Shore |newspaper=Port Macquarie News |date=9 October 2019 |access-date=5 February 2020}} The peat fire was extinguished after {{convert|65|ML|e6impgal e6usgal|abbr=off|lk=on}} of reclaimed water were pumped into adjacent wetlands; followed by {{convert|260|mm|inch}} of rain over five days. In the Port Macquarie suburb of Crestwood a fire started on 26 October from a dry electrical storm. Water bombers were delayed the following day in attempts to bring the fire burning in swampland to the south west of Port Macquarie under control. A back burn on 28 October got away from New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) volunteers after a sudden wind change pushing the fire south towards Lake Cathie and west over Lake Innes. Port Macquarie and surrounding areas were blanketed in thick smoke on 29 October with ongoing fire activity over the following week caused the sky to have an orange glow.

A fire burnt in wilderness areas on the Carrai Plateau west of Kempsey. This fire joined up with the Stockyard Creek fire and together with the Coombes Gap fire and swept east towards Willawarrin, Temagog, Birdwood, Yarras, Bellangary, Kindee and Upper Rollands Plains. Land around Nowendoc and Yarrowich was also burnt. {{as of|2019|12|06}}, this fire burnt nearly {{convert|400000|ha|acre|0}},{{cite news |url=https://www.macleayargus.com.au/story/6530161/macleay-fire-update-carrai-east-goes-to-emergency-level/ |title=Macleay fire update: Carrai East goes to emergency level |newspaper=The Macleay Argus |date=6 December 2019 |access-date=5 February 2020}}{{Cite web | url=https://geo.seed.nsw.gov.au/Public_Viewer/index.html?viewer=Public_Viewer&locale=en-AU&runWorkflow=AppendLayerCatalog&CatalogLayer=SEED_Catalog.254.FESM%20Severity%20Classes%20(Interim) | title=Geocortex Viewer for HTML5 }}{{Cite web | url=https://issuu.com/nswrfs/docs/rfs1121_bushfire_bulletin_vol_42_no1 | title=Bush Fire Bulletin Vol. 42 No. 1 (2020) by NSW Rural Fire Service - Issuu | date=June 2020 }} destroying numerous homes and claiming the lives of three people.{{cite news |url=https://www.macleayargus.com.au/story/6493352/tributes-flow-for-fourth-nsw-fire-victim-barry-parsons/?cs=1526 |title=Tributes flow for fourth NSW fire victim Barry Parsons |newspaper=The Macleay Argus |date=14 November 2019 |access-date=5 February 2020 |agency=Australian Associated Press}}

North-west of {{NSWcity|Harrington}} near the Cattai Wetlands a fire started on 28 October, this fire threatened the towns of Harrington, Crowdy Head and Johns River as it burnt north towards Dunbogan. This fire claimed one life at Johns River, where it also destroyed homes, and burnt more than {{convert|12000|ha|acre|0}}.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

File:Family home destroyed.jpg

At Hillville, a fire grew large due to hot and windy conditions, resulting in disorder in the nearby town of Taree, to the north. Buses were called in early to take students home before the fire threat became too dangerous. On 9 November 2019, the fire reached Old Bar and Wallabi Point, threatening many properties. The following two days saw the fire reach Tinonee and Taree South, threatening the Taree Service Centre. Water bombers dropped water on the facility to protect it. The fire briefly turned in the direction of Nabiac before wind pushed it towards Failford. Other communities affected included Rainbow Flat, Khappinghat, Kooringhat and Purfleet. A spot fire jumped into Ericsson Lane, threatening businesses. It ultimately burnt {{convert|31268|hectare}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates |title=Major Fire Updates |publisher=NSW Rural Fire Service |access-date=17 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115065320/https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates |archive-date=15 November 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me |title=Fires Near Me |website=rfs.nsw.gov.au |access-date=7 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127053616/https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me |archive-date=27 November 2019 |url-status=live}}File:Home & Machinery Shed Destroyed.jpg

At Dingo Tops National Park a small fire that started in the vicinity of Rumba Dump Fire Trail burned down the ranges and impacted the small communities of Caparra and Bobin. Fanned by near catastrophic conditions, the fire grew considerably on 8 November 2019 and consumed nearly everything in its path. The small community of Caparra lost fourteen homes in a few hours as the bushfire continued towards the small village of Bobin, where numerous homes and the Bobin Public School were destroyed in the fire.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-10/nsw-bushfires-bobin-residents-speak-of-bushfire-terror/11690066 |title='Get out': The town where the fire was so bad water bombers 'just gave up' |last1=Pengilley |first1=Victoria |last2=Hair |first2=Jonathan |date=10 November 2019 |website=ABC News |access-date=14 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114085326/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-10/nsw-bushfires-bobin-residents-speak-of-bushfire-terror/11690066 |archive-date=14 November 2019 |url-status=live}} Fourteen homes were lost on one street in Bobin. The NSWRFS sent out alerts to people in Killabakh, Upper Lansdowne, Kippaxs, Elands, and Marlee to monitor conditions.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

2019 Rally Australia, planned to be the final round of the 2019 World Rally Championship, was a motor racing event scheduled to be held in Coffs Harbour across 14–17 November.{{cite news |url=https://www.fia.com/news/fia-announces-world-motor-sport-council-decisions-11 |title=FIA announces World Motor Sport Council decisions |date=12 October 2018 |publisher=Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |access-date=12 October 2018}} A week before the rally was due to begin, the bushfire began to affect the region surrounding Coffs Harbour, with event organisers shortening the event in response to the deteriorating conditions.{{cite news |url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/11/12/rally-australia-reveals-revised-route-proposal/ |title=Rally Australia reveals revised route proposal |last=Howard |first=Tom |date=12 November 2019 |work=speedcafe |access-date=12 November 2019 |publisher=Speedcafe}} With the situation worsening, repeated calls from competitors (most of which were European-based) to cancel the event prevailed with the event cancelled on 12 November.{{cite news |url=https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/fires-angry-teams-australia-cancel/4595702/ |title=Fires cause angry teams to call for Rally Australia cancellation |date=12 November 2019 |publisher=Motorsport.com}}{{cite web |url=https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/november-2019/australia-cancelled/page/6826--12-12-.html |title=Rally Australia Cancelled |date=12 November 2019 |work=wrc.com |publisher=WRC |access-date=12 November 2019}}

In late December 2019, fires started on both sides of the Pacific Highway around the Coopernook region. They burnt {{convert|278|ha|acre|0}} before they were brought under control.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

File:AwabaFireN2019.jpg, 9 November 2019]]

In the Hunter region, the Kerry Ridge fire burnt in the Wollemi National Park, Nullo Mountain, Coricudgy and Putty state forests in the Mid-Western Region, Muswellbrook and Singleton local government areas.{{cite news |url=https://www.muswellbrookchronicle.com.au/story/6552974/kerry-ridge-bushfire-lifted-to-emergency-warning/ |title=Kerry Ridge bushfire, located within the Muswellbrook, Singleton and Mid-Western LGAs, is burning in the Wollemi National Park, Putty State Forest and Coricudgy State Forest |work=Muswellbrook Chronicle |date=19 December 2019 |access-date=15 February 2020}} The fire was extinguished on 10 February 2020, having burnt approximately {{convert|191000|ha|acre|0}} over 79 days.{{cite news |url=https://www.huntervalleynews.net.au/story/6622616/substantial-firefighting-effort-ends/ |title=NSW Rural Fire Service deems 79-day Kerry Ridge bushfire officially 'out' |work=Hunter Valley News |date=10 February 2020 |access-date=15 February 2020}}

File:Gospers Mountain Fire.jpg

The Gospers Mountain Fire was ignited by lightning on 26 October near Gospers Mountain in the Wollemi National Park. Over the following 16 days the fire burnt an estimated {{Convert|56000|ha|acres|abbr=on}} and was largely managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. On 11 November the NSW Rural Fire Service took control of fire management and issued a pre-emptive Section 44 declaration ahead of anticipated deteriorating conditions.

Around 11 November 2019, the NSW Rural Fire Service devised a strategy to contain the Gospers Mountain Fire using primary roads, major fire trails and an over-reliance on large-scale strategic backburning.{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Harriet |date=2023-12-15 |title='The best of a bad choice': Megablaze was artificially enlarged by the Rural Fire Service |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-best-of-a-bad-choice-megablaze-was-artificially-enlarged-by-the-rural-fire-service-20231214-p5eren.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} This strategy was calculated to result in an area burnt of 450,000 ha.{{Citation |title=NSW Bushfires Coronial Inquiry (Day 70 - 19.05.2023) | date=18 May 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwejQP0n4UU |access-date=2023-12-15 |language=en}} Under this strategy eight strategic backburns were carried out by the NSW Rural Fire Service, generally many kilometres from the edge of the Gospers Mountain Fire, with each backburn failing and escaping containment. This caused the fire to significantly increase in size. In each instance the NSW Rural Fire Service described the escaped backburns as the "Gospers Mountain Fire", even though in many cases, the backburns were ignited separately. The area burnt by these escaped backburns accounted for over 130,000 hectares - nearly a quarter of the total size of the Gospers Mountain Fire.

• On 15 November, at Putty Road, Wallaby Swamp Trail and Staircase Spur Trail at Colo Heights
• On 19 November, at Putty Road, Barina Road and Wheelbarrow Ridge Road at Colo Heights
• On 4 December, at Cerones Track, Colo Heights
• On 5 December, at Upper Colo Road, Colo Heights
• On 5–6 December at Mountain Lagoon, between Colo Heights and Bilpin
• On 7 December, at Glowworm Tunnel Road on the Newnes Plateau
• On 12 December, at Blackfellows Hands Trail at Newnes Plateau
• On 14 December at Mt Wilson Road (Mt Wilson Backburn)

At 10am on 14 December the NSW Rural Fire Service commenced a large backburn in the {{NSWcity|Mount Wilson}} area. Due to poor fire weather conditions and heavy fuel loads, the backburn quickly grew out of control, threatening houses in Mount Wilson. The escaped backburn spread east of Mount Wilson Road and on 15 December, under deteriorating conditions, impacted Mount Tomah, Berambing and Bilpin. Due to confusion around the source of the fire and inaccurate warnings, many impacted residents were unaware that the escaped backburn posed a threat to their properties.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-13 |title=No warning as fire blazed |url=https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/7774158/no-warning-as-fire-blazed/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Blue Mountains Gazette |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Harriet |date=2022-06-13 |title='Horrible mistake': residents thought cataclysmic fire was days away |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/horrible-mistake-residents-thought-cataclysmic-fire-was-days-away-20220609-p5askb.html |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} The fire destroyed numerous houses and buildings, and then jumped the Bells Line of Road into the Grose Valley.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-15/nsw-bushfires-video-terrifying-homes-lost-around-mt-tomah/11800652 |title=Homes believed lost in NSW 'mega blaze' as firefighters tackle 70-metre flames |last=Thomas |first=Sarah |date=15 December 2019 |website=ABC News |access-date=15 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215235419/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-15/nsw-bushfires-video-terrifying-homes-lost-around-mt-tomah/11800652 |archive-date=15 December 2019 |url-status=live}}

File:Bells Line of Road Bushfire Damage JAN2020.jpg

On 19 December 2019 the fire caused by the escaped RFS Mt Wilson backburn crossed south of the Grose River. This section of the fire was then annexed by the NSW Rural Fire Service, which declared a new fire called the Grose Valley Fire.{{Cite web |title=RFS Blue Mountains District - Information on Grose Valley Fire. For Major Fire Updates visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/RFSBlueMountainsDistrict/photos/a.184069278305254/2862313447147477/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}} On 21 December, a catastrophic day, the escaped RFS Backburn impacted Mount Victoria, {{NSWcity|Blackheath}}, Bell, {{NSWcity|Clarence}}, Dargan and Bilpin, resulting in the destruction of dozens of homes. Homes were also lost in Lithgow due to previously escaped Glow Worm Tunnel and Blackfellows Hands Trail backburns.

The NSW Rural Fire Service reported the Gospers Mountain Fire as contained on 12 January 2020, stating that the fire was caused by a lightning strike on 26 October.{{cite news |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/rain-set-to-provide-relief-for-nsw-firefighters |title=Rain set to provide relief for NSW firefighters |work=SBS News |location=Australia |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=12 January 2020}} On 4 February 2020 the escaped Mt Wilson Backburn was declared out.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-04 |title=Fire Case Studies |url=https://independentbushfiregroup.org/fire-case-studies/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Independent Bushfire Group |language=en}} The amount of area burnt by the original Gospers Mountain Wildfire remains contested, as a significant portion of the fire was caused by multiple, separate backburns which increased the fire area. On 10 February 2020, NSW Rural Fire Service announced a torrential rain event over the preceding week had extinguished the Gospers Mountain fire.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-10/sydney-weather-prompts-bom-and-ses-warnings/11948158 |title=Sydney wet weather extinguishes Gospers Mountain 'mega-blaze', flooding clean-up continues across NSW |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=10 February 2020 |access-date=10 February 2020}}

Smaller fires in the area include the Erskine Creek fire. Additional fires in Balmoral, at the south eastern extent of the Blue Mountains, were also caused by NSW Rural Fire Service backburning.{{Cite news |date=2020-06-09 |title=Horror fire that scorched village started with failed backburn, RFS admits |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-10/backburns-at-balmoral-and-bilpin-caused-damage/12334842 |access-date=2023-12-25}}

The Gospers Mountain fire was widely reported as the largest forest fire ever recorded in Australia, burning more than 500,000 hectares. A significant amount of the final burnt area was a result of escaped backburning operations by the NSW Rural Fire Service. 81% of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area burned.

File:Sydney_bushfire_smoke_on_George_St_(49197319478).jpg in the Sydney CBD blanketed by smoke in December 2019]]

File:Bushfire in Prospect Hill.jpg charred after grass fire.]]

File:Bushfire destroys house.jpg

File:Werombi Bushfire.jpg

On 12 November 2019, under Sydney's first ever catastrophic fire conditions, a fire broke out in the Lane Cove National Park south of Turramurra. Under strong winds and extreme heat the fire spread rapidly, growing out of control and impacting the suburban interface across South Turramurra. One house caught alight in Lyon Avenue, but was saved by quick responding firefighters. As further crews arrived and worked to protect properties, a C-130 Air Tanker made several fire retardant drops directly over firefighters and houses, saving the rest of the suburb. The fire was ultimately brought under control several hours later, with one firefighter injured suffering a broken arm.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50375407 |title=Australian bushfires reach Sydney's suburbs |work=BBC News |date=12 November 2019 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/bushfires-in-south-turramurra-and-loftus-being-treated-as-suspicious-c-554554 |title=Group of 'suspicious-looking teens' seen leaving area of bushfire |date=13 November 2019 |website=7news.com.au |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/nsw-bushfires-latest-emergency-warning-for-fires-burning-in-turramurra-c-552899 |title=Police set up crime scene as blaze on Sydney's north shore is investigated |date=12 November 2019 |website=7news.com.au |access-date=2 January 2020}}

Because of the bushfires occurring in the surrounding regions, the Sydney metropolitan area suffered from dangerous smoky haze for several days throughout December, with the air quality being eleven times the hazardous level on some days,{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/sydney-smoke-haze-reaches-11-times-the-hazardous-level/video/1d45b28f8c2459ee9ecfb9fee65fbbfe |title=Sydney smoke haze reaches 11 times the hazardous level |work=news.com.au |format=streaming video |access-date=1 January 2020 |date=10 December 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2019/dec/10/sydneys-top-landmarks-smothered-in-smoke-in-pictures |title=Sydney smoke: bushfires haze smothers landmarks – in pictures |access-date=1 January 2020 |newspaper=Guardian Australia |date=10 December 2019 |last1=Hromas |first1=Jessica}} making it even worse than New Delhi's,{{cite web |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/temperature-inversion-traps-smoke-in-sydney/news-story/b6d804cc21eaaaf9b88ec6a448285be8 |title=Bushfire smoke makes Sydney air quality worse than Delhi |access-date=1 January 2020 |work=The Australian |url-access=subscription |date=3 December 2019}} where it was also compared to "smoking 32 cigarettes" by Associate Professor Brian Oliver, a respiratory diseases scientist at the University of Technology Sydney.{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/sydney-fire-haze-equal-to-smoking-32-cigarettes/news-story/7ab680a39edd6d87ae76e35894f949f6 |title=Sydney fire haze equal to 'smoking 32 cigarettes' |work=news.com.au |access-date=1 January 2020 |date=22 November 2019}}

On 10 December 2019 the fire impacted the south-western Sydney suburbs of {{NSWcity|Nattai}} and {{NSWcity|Oakdale}}, followed by {{NSWcity|Orangeville}} and Werombi, threatening hundreds of houses and resulting in the destruction of one building. The fire continued to flare up sporadically, coming out of the dense bush and threatening properties in Oakdale and Buxton on 14 and 15 December.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} The fire moved south-east towards the populated areas of the Southern Highlands and impacted the townships of Balmoral, {{NSWcity|Buxton}}, Bargo, Couridjah and Tahmoor in far south-western Sydney. Substantial property losses occurred across these areas, in particular multiple fire trucks were overrun by fire, with several firefighters taken to hospital and two airlifted in critical condition. Later that night, two firefighters were killed when a tree fell onto the road and their tanker rolled, injuring three other crew members. The situation deteriorated on 21 December when the fire changed direction and attacked Balmoral and Buxton once more from the opposite side, with major property losses in both areas.{{cite web |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/outofcontrol-bushfire-threatens-oakdale-and-nattai/news-story/53c2b84bf2a5c30777f6d8588404b4a4 |title=NSW Bushfires: Firefighters work to subdue out-of-control bushfire near Lake Burragorang |date=10 December 2019 |website=Daily Telegraph|location=Sydney |access-date=4 January 2020}} On New Year's Eve there were fears of this fire impacting the towns of Mittagong, Braemar, and surrounding areas.

On 31 December 2019, a grass fire broke out in the sloped woodlands of Prospect Hill, in Western Sydney, where it headed north towards Pemulwuy along the Prospect Highway. The fire impacted a large industrial area and threatened numerous properties before being brought under control by 9:30 pm. Approximately {{convert|10|hectare}} and a number of historic Monterey pine trees were burnt.{{cite web |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-bushfires-firefighters-brace-for-extreme-fire-danger/live-coverage/e5133a3be61b8955bcc228ccc0bb88ac |title=NSW bushfires: Greystanes blaze brought under control |date=31 December 2019 |website=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney |access-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231135029/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-bushfires-firefighters-brace-for-extreme-fire-danger/live-coverage/e5133a3be61b8955bcc228ccc0bb88ac |archive-date=31 December 2019 |url-status=live}}

The Sydney City fireworks display was allowed to continue with a special exemption from fire authorities, despite protests.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50945761 |title=Sydney NYE fireworks to go ahead despite protests |date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230133517/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50945761 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |work=BBC News }} Despite warnings from authorities, numerous fires were sparked across Sydney as a result of illegal fireworks, including a blaze which threatened properties at Cecil Hills in Sydney's south west.{{cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/police-hunting-four-teenagers-who-set-off-illegal-fireworks-on-new-years-eve-c-628925 |title=Illegal firework prank sparked fire that threatened Sydney homes |date=1 January 2020 |website=7news.com.au |access-date=2 January 2020}}

On 4 January 2020, Sydney's western suburb Penrith recorded its hottest day on record at {{convert|48.9|C|F}} making it the hottest place on Earth at the time.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2111.latest.shtml |title=Penrith, NSW – Daily Weather Observations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125021308/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2111.latest.shtml|archive-date=25 January 2020|url-status=deviated|access-date=11 July 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/penrith-press/penrith-hits-record-temperature-of-485c-as-heatwave-strikes-nsw/news-story/dcf054647fa47a6fb4e8195515d835fc |title=Police set up crime scene as blaze on Sydney's north shore is investigated |website=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney |access-date=7 January 2020 |date=4 January 2020}}

On 5 January 2020, a fire broke out in bushland at Voyager Point in Sydney's south-west, spreading rapidly under a strong southerly wind and impacting numerous houses in Voyager Point and Hammondville.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/fire-at-voyager-point-m5-closed/news-story/63857af49432bbdb38b21ae1952e5244 |title=M5 reopens after fire threat in Sydney's south-west |date=5 January 2020 |website=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney |access-date=5 January 2020}} As the fire moved north, authorities closed the M5 Motorway due to smoke conditions and prepared for the fire to impact the New Brighton housing estate. Firefighters on the ground assisted by numerous waterbombing aircraft held the fire south of the motorway and prevented any property losses, containing the fire to {{convert|60|ha}}.{{Cite web |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/sydney-homes-safe-fire-southwest-085637586--spt.html |title=Sydney homes safe from fire in southwest |website=Yahoo News |location=Australia |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=6 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200106171226/https://au.news.yahoo.com/sydney-homes-safe-fire-southwest-085637586--spt.html |url-status=dead }}

In late October 2019, a number of fires started in remote bushland near Lake Burragorang in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park south-west of Sydney. Due to the extreme isolation of the area and rugged inaccessible terrain, firefighters struggled to contain the fires as they began to spread through the dense bushland. These multiple fires ultimately all merged to become the Green Wattle Creek fire. The fire continued to grow in size and intensity, burning towards the township of Yerranderie. Firefighters undertook backburning around the town whilst helicopters and fixed wing aircraft worked to control the spread of the fire. The fire passed Yerranderie but continued to burn through the national park towards south-western Sydney. On 5 December under severe weather conditions, the fire jumped the Lake Burragorang and began burning towards populated areas within the Wollondilly area.

File:Yanderra Bushfire.jpg]]

On 19 December 2019, the fire continued east towards the Hume Highway (resulting in its closure for several hours), impacting the township of Yanderra. Over the following days as the fire continued to progress to the south east, both Yerrinbool and {{NSWcity|Hill Top}} were threatened by the fire.{{cite web |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-bushfires-to-make-very-big-run-in-awful-conditions/news-story/3cd9bf835ef6895c75e270ac528bc538 |title=Homes lost, fireys injured as bushfires rage across NSW |last1=McGookin |first1=Daniel |last2=McSweeney |first2=Jessica |date=5 December 2019 |website=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221020838/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-bushfires-to-make-very-big-run-in-awful-conditions/news-story/3cd9bf835ef6895c75e270ac528bc538 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |access-date=6 December 2019 |last3=Crittenden |first3=Madeline |last4=McCallum |first4=Jake}}

As well as expanding to the south and east, the fire also spread in a westerly direction, headed towards {{NSWcity|Oberon}}. The Oberon Correctional Centre was evacuated in anticipation of the advancing fire impact along its western flank.{{cite web |url=https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/6537078/inmates-staff-evacuated-from-jail-as-bushfire-threatens/ |title=Inmates, staff evacuated from jail as bushfire threatens |last=Morton |first=Nadine |date=11 December 2019 |website=Western Advocate |access-date=2 January 2020}} On 2 January, the fire hit the popular and historic Jenolan Caves area, destroying multiple buildings including the local fire station. The centrepiece of the precinct, Jenolan Caves House, was saved.{{cite web |url=https://www.lithgowmercury.com.au/story/6564571/buildings-destroyed-as-caves-house-precinct-falls-victim-to-spot-fires/ |title=Buildings destroyed as Caves House precinct falls victim to spot fires |last=Morton |first=Nadine |date=2 January 2020 |website=Lithgow Mercury |access-date=2 January 2020}} On 10 February 2020, NSW Rural Fire Service announced a torrential rain event over the preceding week had extinguished the Green Wattle Creek fire.

File:Smoke rises from the Tianjara fire, viewed from HMAS Albatross (2).jpg

On 30 December 2019 weather conditions drastically deteriorated across the south-eastern areas of the state, with major fires breaking out and escalating in the Dampier State Forest, Deua River Valley, Badja, Bemboka, Wyndham, Talmalolma and Ellerslie, hampering firefighters already stretched by the Currowan, Palerang and Clyde Mountain fires.{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/more-than-900-nsw-homes-confirmed-razed-from-bushfires-20191230-p53nj6.html |title=South Coast holidaymakers may be trapped by escalating fires as conditions worsen |last=Noyes |first=Laura |author2=Chung, Jenny |date=30 December 2019 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230143946/https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/more-than-900-nsw-homes-confirmed-razed-from-bushfires-20191230-p53nj6.html |archive-date=30 December 2019 |url-status=live}} As temperatures were forecast to reach {{convert|41|C|F}} on the South Coast, Premier Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency on 2 January 2020 with effect from 9{{nbsp}}am on the following day, including an unprecedented{{cite news |url=https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6564834/update-get-out-now/ |title=Thousands of holidaymakers told to leave NSW South Coast amid bushfire emergency |work=St George and Sutherland Shire Leader |author=Porter, Merryn |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=16 January 2020}} {{convert|14000|km2|sqmi|adj=on}} "tourist leave zone" from Nowra to the edge of Victoria's northern border.{{cite news |author1=Nguyen, Kevin |author2=Elsworthy, Emma |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-02/nsw-rural-fire-service-declares-tourist-leave-zone-south-coast/11836730 |title=NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declares state of emergency, as thousands flee South Coast ahead of horror fire weekend |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-fires-state-of-emergency-declared-as-pm-urges-calm-amid-mass-exodus |title=NSW fires: State of emergency declared as PM urges calm amid mass exodus |work=SBS News |location=Australia |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020 |agency=Australian Associated Press}}{{cite news |author1=Davidson, Helen |author2=Henriques-Gomes, Luke |author3=Remeikis, Amy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/jan/02/nsw-fires-live-news-victoria-bushfires-australia-near-south-coast-tourists-latest-updates- |title=NSW state of emergency declared as 17 missing in Victoria bushfires – as it happened |work=Guardian Australia |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}

A blaze on the South Coast started off at Currowan and travelled up to the coastline after jumping across the Princes Highway, threatening properties around Termeil. Residents in Bawley Point,{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/one-plus-one/2020-04-07/one-plus-one:-charlie-magnuson/12130808 |title=One Plus One: Charlie Magnuson |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=16 April 2020}} Kioloa, Depot Beach, Pebbly Beach, Durras North and Pretty Beach were told to either evacuate to Batemans Bay or Ulladulla or stay to protect their property. One home was lost.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} {{as of|2020|1|2}}, the Currowan fire was burning between Batemans Bay in the south, Nowra in the north, and east of {{NSWcity|Braidwood}} in the west. The fire had burnt more than {{convert|258000|ha}} and was out of control. The Currowan fire had merged with the Tianjara fire in the Morton National Park to the south west of Nowra; and the Charleys Forest fire had grown along the fire's western flank; and on the fire's southern flank, the fire had merged with the Clyde Mountain fire.{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=6025 |title=Watch and Act – Currowan Fire (Shoalhaven LGA) 2020-01-02 21:03 |work=Major Fires Updates |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}

By 26 December 2019, the Clyde Mountain fire was burning on the southern side of the Kings Highway, into the Buckenbowra and Runnyford areas. Around 4{{nbsp}}am on 31 December, the fire had crossed the Princes Highway near {{NSWcity|Mogo}}, and the highway was closed between Batemans Bay and Moruya.{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=8490 |title=Advice – Clyde Mountain (Eurobodalla LGA) 2020-01-02 13:58 |work=Major Fires Updates |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}} Around 7{{nbsp}}am on 31 December, the fire impacted the southern side of Batemans Bay, causing the loss of around ten businesses and damage to many others. The fire also crossed the Princes Highway in the vicinity of Round Hill and impacted the residential suburbs of Catalina, as well as beach suburbs from Sunshine Bay to Broulee. Residents and holiday makers were forced to flee to the beaches. On 23 January this fire escalated back to emergency level as the blaze roared towards the coastal town of Moruya, a town largely unaffected by bushfires in recent weeks.

At nearby Conjola Park, numerous homes were lost as the embers jumped across Conjola Lake, landing in gutters and lighting up houses. On one street there were only four houses still standing. {{as of|2020|01|02}}, at least two people died and a woman was missing.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-01/nsw-bushfire-destroys-homes-on-south-coast/11835426 |title=Bushfires on NSW South Coast kill seven people, destroy 176 buildings |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}} Isolated hamlets of Bendalong and Manyana and Cunjurong Point were additionally ablaze, with holiday-makers evacuated on 3 January 2020. {{as of|2020|1|6}}, all are still without power.{{cite news |author=Davies, Anne |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/03/one-road-out-the-nervous-wait-to-evacuate-a-nsw-town-ringed-by-bushfires |title=One road out: the nervous wait to evacuate a town ringed by bushfires |work=Guardian Australia |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020}}

{{as of|2020|1|5}}, in the Bega Valley Shire, the Border fire that started in north-eastern Victoria was burning north into New South Wales towards the major town of {{NSWcity|Eden}}, and had impacted the settlements of {{NSWcity|Wonboyn}} and surrounding areas including Kiah, Lower Towamba and parts of Boydtown. Part of the fire was burning in inaccessible country and continued to head in a north-westerly direction towards Bombala as well as northerly to just south of Nethercote. The fire had burnt more than {{convert|60000|ha}} and was out of control.{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=8663 |title=Advice – Border Fire (Bega Valley LGA) 2020-01-02 13:59 |work=Major Fires Updates |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=9206 |title=Watch and Act – Border Fire (Bega Valley LGA) 2020-01-05 20:42 |work=Major Fires Updates |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}} On 2 February 2020 in the Bega Valley, the {{convert|177000|ha|acre|0|adj=on}} Border fire pushed north, while three other bushfires in the south-west had merged into one. Kristy McBain, the Bega Valley shire council mayor, said more than 400 properties and homes had been lost after 34 days of fire activity in the area.{{cite news |author=Readfearn, Graham |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/02/nsw-and-canberra-fires-more-homes-reported-lost-as-wind-and-thunderstorms-hit |title=NSW and Canberra fires: more homes reported lost as wind and thunderstorms hit |work=Guardian Australia |date=2 February 2020 |access-date=4 February 2020}}

On 9 February 2020, NSW Rural Fire Service announced a torrential rain event over the preceding week had extinguished both the Morton and Currowan fires, with the latter having burnt {{convert|499621|ha|acre}} over 74 days and destroying 312 homes.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-09/rainfall-nsw-extinguishes-currowan-bushfire/11947268 |title=South Coast's Currowan bushfire extinguished as torrential rain falls across NSW |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=9 February 2020 |access-date=9 February 2020}}

On 30 December 2019, the Green Valley fire burning east of Albury near Talmalmo (which had started the day prior) developed into an unprecedented fire event for the Snowy Valleys{{cite news |url=https://www.tatimes.com.au/disastrous-day-for-snowy-valleys/ |title=Snowy Valleys burns |work=Tumut and Adelong Times |date=4 January 2020 |access-date=15 January 2020}} as a result of extreme local conditions. The smoke plume rose to an estimated {{convert|8000|m|ft}} and developed a pyro-cumulonimbus cloud, becoming a firestorm. The result was extreme, the wind was described by crews on the ground as in excess of {{convert|100|kph|abbr=on}}, with spot fires starting over {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} ahead of the main fire front.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

Firefighters described what they believed to be a tornado generated by the fire storm, which began flattening trees and flipped a small fire vehicle. The tornado then impacted a crew of firefighters working to protect a property, flipping their tanker over and trapping the crew inside, who were then overrun by fire. One firefighter was killed with multiple others injured, with one airlifted to Melbourne and two to Sydney.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-01/why-bushfires-that-spin-are-incredibly-dangerous/11834006 |title=This is how a bushfire can flip a fire truck |last=Doyle |first=Kate |date=1 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a191230xytfc/volunteer-firefighter-killed-two-injured-after-truck-rolls-in-extreme-winds-20191230 |title=Jingellic: Volunteer Firefighter Killed After NSW Fire |website=10daily.com.au |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230143950/https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a191230xytfc/volunteer-firefighter-killed-two-injured-after-truck-rolls-in-extreme-winds-20191230 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019 |date=30 December 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/bushfires-near-me-live-coverage-victoria-nsw-residents-evacuated-ahead-of-catastrophic-fire-conditions/d2fd78c3-c1b4-46f9-adb7-ba2cf6d6a3b8?ocid=edm-nine.com.au-ninedaily--191230&mktg_scr=edm-ninedaily |title=Firefighter dies in NSW after extreme winds cause truck crash |website=9news.com.au |access-date=30 December 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/volunteer-firefighter-samuel-mcpaul-killed-after-high-winds-roll-multiple-trucks/news-story/80d7f9ca2052a395a3d865d89b089751 |title='He was the best of us': PM's emotional statement on firey's death |date=31 December 2019 |website=news.com.au |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/31/australia-fires-live-news-nsw-victoria-bushfires-latest-updates?page=with%3Ablock-5e0a8c808f085eda5c10fd40 |title=Two dead in Cobargo as New South Wales and Victoria face bushfire threat – as it happened |last1=Davidson |first1=Helen |date=31 December 2019 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=2 January 2020 |last2=Zhou |first2=Naaman |last3=Henriques-Gomes |first3=Luke |last4=Wahlquist |first4=Calla}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mygc.com.au/firefighter-killed-another-seriously-injured-while-battling-extreme-blazes-in-southern-nsw/ |title=Volunteer firefighter, killed in southern NSW, was expecting first child |last=Dakin |first=Rebecca |date=30 December 2019 |website=myGC.com.au |access-date=2 January 2020}}

The Dunns Road fire was believed to have been started by a lightning strike on 28 December in a private pine plantation near Adelong.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/6559796/rfs-warns-of-bushfire-risk-to-communities-between-tarcutta-and-adelong/ |title=RFS warns of bushfire risk to communities between Tarcutta and Adelong |last=Martinich |first=Rex |date=29 December 2019 |website=Daily Advertiser |access-date=12 January 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.tatimes.com.au/fire-threat-ramps-up-again-friday/ |title=Fire threat ramps up again today |last=Quinn |first=Katie |date=9 January 2020 |website=Tumut and Adelong Times |access-date=12 January 2020}} In the Snowy Valleys local government area, by 2 January 2020 the Dunns Road fire had burnt south of the Snowy Mountains Highway in the Ellerslie Range near {{NSWcity|Kunama}}. Over {{convert|130000|ha}} was burnt and the fire was out of control. The NSWRFS issued an evacuation order to residents in the Adelong, Talbingo, Batlow and Wondalga areas. Residents and visitors to the Kosciuszko National Park were evacuated and the national park was closed. Many of the towns in the area were cut off from utilities for days after the fires went though the area. Also 155 inmates from the Mannus Correctional Centre near Tumbarumba were evacuated.{{cite web |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=8443 |title=Watch and Act – Dunns Road (Snowy Valleys LGA) 2020-01-02 18:35 |work=Major Fire Update |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-02/fires-nsw-batlow-rfs-leave-tumut-kosciuszko-evacuation/11837622 |title=Fires threaten new communities as Batlow residents told town will not be defendable, Kosciuszko National Park evacuated |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/6563389/not-defendable-batlow-wondalga-residents-told-to-leave/ |title=Dunns Road fire updates: Batlow, Wondalga residents told to leave {{!}} Live blog |work=Daily Advertiser |author=Huntley, Daisy |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6562469/deteriorating-conditions-on-saturday-for-fire-near-mount-kosciuszko-national-park/ |title=Dunns Road bushfire near Mount Kosciuszko National Park burns more than 130,000ha. Staff at Thredbo ski resort resorted to using sprayers and snow making technology to douse facilities on the mountain in water, in hopes of saving whatever they can. |work=The Canberra Times |author1=Evans, Steve |author2=Bladen, Lucy |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}

On 3 January 2020, the Dunns Road fire burnt from Batlow into Kosciuszko National Park, burning much of the northern part of the park. Witnesses reported that an ember storm was jumping many km ahead of the fire front. The fire caused significant damage, severely damaging the Selwyn Snow Resort, destroying structures in the town of Cabramurra and almost completely destroying the heritage-listed precinct (and birthplace of skiing in Australia) of Kiandra. Kiandra's historic former courthouse{{cite news |last1=Beaini |first1=Adella |title=NSW bushfire: Selwyn Snow Resort destroyed by bushfire |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-bushfire-selwyn-snow-resort-destroyed-by-bushfire/news-story/efe2cd38deecbe7e1b7af5791b6ec2ae |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney |date=6 January 2020}} was left with only its walls standing after a fire so hot that the glass and aluminium in the windows melted.{{cite news |last1=Lowrey |first1=Tom |title=Fires wreak destruction on Kosciuszko National Park that could take centuries to recover from, rangers say |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-10/australia-bushfire-kosciuszko-snowy-wildlife-nature-destroyed/11856374 |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=10 January 2020}} A number of high country huts, including Wolgal Hut and Pattinsons Hut near Kiandra, were also feared to have been destroyed.{{cite news |last1=Jervis-Bardy |first1=Dan |title='Pretty confronting': Selwyn vows to rebuild after bushfire devastates ski resort |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6568647/pretty-confronting-selwyn-vows-to-rebuild-after-dunns-road-bushfire-devastates-ski-resort/ |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=The Canberra Times |date=7 January 2020}} By 11 January three fires had merged{{spaced endash}}the Dunns Road fire, the East Ournie Creek, and the Riverina's Green Valley fire{{spaced endash}}and had created a {{convert|600000|ha|acre|0|adj=on}} "mega-fire", burning south of the Snowy Mountains.{{cite news |author1=Gorrey, Megan |author2=Levy, Matt |author3=Bungard, Megan |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/fires-on-the-nsw-and-victorian-border-likely-to-merge-as-winds-worsen-20200110-p53qby.html |title=Southern Highlands blaze flares as two massive fires merge in Snowy Valley |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 January 2020 |access-date=12 January 2020}}

File:Coulson Aviation (N134CG) Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules departing HMAS Albatross.jpg Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules N134CG 'Zeus' which crashed on 23 January 2020, seen here at HMAS Albatross in December 2019.]]

On 23 January 2020, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules large air tanker crashed near Cooma while waterbombing a blaze, resulting in the death of the three American crew members on board.

On 1 February 2020, emergency warnings were issued for the Orroral fire and the Clear Range fire threatening Bredbo north of Cooma.{{cite web |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/fires-near-me-act-bushfires-state-of-emergency-declared-canberra-fire-spreads-homes-under-threat-news/e3c89e5d-7bb1-48d7-85dd-54163c84c4b3 |title=Bushfires NSW, ACT, Victoria: Dangerous fires flare in three states |date=1 February 2020 |website=9news |location=Australia |access-date=1 February 2020}}

On 21 November 2019, lightning strikes ignited a series of fires in East Gippsland, initially endangering the communities of Buchan, Buchan South and Sunny Point.{{cite web |author1=McMillan, Ashleigh |author2=Sakkal, Paul |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-swelters-fire-danger-extreme-but-the-heat-won-t-last-20191209-p53i2u.html |title=Residents told to leave now as twin East Gippsland bushfires bear down |date=9 December 2019 |website=The Age |access-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209110510/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-swelters-fire-danger-extreme-but-the-heat-won-t-last-20191209-p53i2u.html |archive-date=9 December 2019 |url-status=live}} On 20 December, the Marthavale-Barmouth Spur expanded, greatly endangering the community of Tambo Crossing.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

File:2020-01-04 East Australian and Mallacoota Fires Aqua MODIS-VIIRS-LABELS.png satellite imagery on 4 January 2020 showing bushfires on the southeast coast of Australia]]

The first day of two-day cricket tour match between a Victoria XI and New Zealand in Melbourne was cancelled due to extreme heat conditions.{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28331298/first-day-new-zealand-tour-match-cancelled-due-extreme-heat |title=First day of New Zealand's tour match cancelled due to extreme heat |date=19 December 2019 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219081939/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28331298/first-day-new-zealand-tour-match-cancelled-due-extreme-heat |archive-date=19 December 2019 |url-status=live}}

On 30 December 2019, there were three active fires in East Gippsland with a combined area of more than {{convert|130000|hectare}}, and another in the north-east of the state near Walwa heading south-east towards Cudgewa.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} An evacuation warning was issued for the East Gippsland town of Goongerah, which is surrounded by high-value old growth forests, as well as Cudgewa.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} On the same day, a fire broke out in the Plenty Gorge Parklands, situated in Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs between Bundoora, Mill Park, South Morang, Greensborough and Plenty.{{Cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-30/victoria-braces-for-day-of-extreme-bushfire-danger/11831632 |title=Bundoora fire damages homes in Melbourne's north as bushfires intensify in Victoria's East Gippsland |date=30 December 2019 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=5 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au/public/event%2Fwarning%2F11384.html |title=VicEmergency Incidents & Warnings |website=VicEmergency |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613175332/https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au/public/event/warning/11384.html |url-status=dead }}

Fires reached the town of Mallacoota by around 8 am AEDT on 31 December 2019. At 11 am AEDT 31 December, fires had begun to approach the vacation town of Lakes Entrance.{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/property-losses-expected-in-east-gippsland-after-horror-wind-change/live-coverage/6a1e8b4cb5dfd87d6cbd9814aeb3293a |title=Grave fears in East Gippsland after horror wind change |date=30 December 2019 |website=Herald Sun |access-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231000041/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/property-losses-expected-in-east-gippsland-after-horror-wind-change/live-coverage/6a1e8b4cb5dfd87d6cbd9814aeb3293a |archive-date=31 December 2019 |url-status=live}} Despite the recommendation that large portions of East Gippsland be evacuated, approximately 30,000 holiday makers chose to remain in the region. Approximately 4,000 people, including 3,000 tourists, remained in Mallacoota as the fire began making its closest approach to the town, cutting off roads in the process; Mallacoota had not been issued with an evacuation warning on 29 December.{{cite web |title=Australia wildfires: Thousands told it is too late to evacuate as blazes rage on |url=https://news.sky.com/story/australia-wildfires-tens-of-thousands-of-tourists-urged-to-leave-victoria-11897582 |publisher=Sky News |location=Australia |access-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231010541/https://news.sky.com/story/australia-wildfires-tens-of-thousands-of-tourists-urged-to-leave-victoria-11897582 |archive-date=31 December 2019 |url-status=live}}{{failed verification|date=January 2020}} On 3 January, approximately 1,160 people from Mallacoota were evacuated on naval vessels HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/navy-starts-bushfires-evacuations--in-mallacoota/11838424 |title=Mallacoota evacuations begin as thousands trapped by bushfires are transported to navy ship |date=3 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/this-week-just-keeps-getting-crazier-mallacoota-evacuees-express-relief-after-navy-rescue |title='This week just keeps getting crazier': Mallacoota evacuees express relief after navy rescue |date=3 January 2020 |website=SBS News |location=Australia |access-date=4 January 2020}} In the rural hamlet of Sarsfield 200 of the 276 properties in the area were impacted by fire with 73 dwellings lost and 49.2% of the landscape burnt.

On 2 January 2020 at 11 pm AEDT, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews declared a state of disaster under the provisions of the Victorian Emergency Management Act for the shires of East Gippsland, Mansfield, Wellington, Wangaratta, Towong, and Alpine, and the alpine resorts of Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, and Mount Stirling. Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp stated that {{convert|780000|ha}} had burnt including {{convert|100000|ha}} near Corryong in the state's north-east and that fifty fires were burning.{{cite web |author=Ryan, Brad |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-02/victoria-state-of-disaster-declared/11838290 |title=Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews declares state of disaster as bushfires bring 'unprecedented risk to life and property' |date=2 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=2 January 2020}} On 3 January, Andrews said two people were confirmed dead from the East Gippsland fires.{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/number-of-people-missing-in-bushfire-ravaged-victoria-rises-to-28 |title=Number of people missing in bushfire-ravaged Victoria rises to 28 |date=3 January 2020 |website=SBS News |location=Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}}

On 6 January 2020, Andrews said that bushfires had burnt through {{convert|1.2|e6ha|e6acre|0|abbr=off}} in Victoria's east and north-east and that 200 homes were confirmed lost.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-06/bushfires-in-victoria-destroy-at-least-200-homes/11844292 |title=Fires in Victoria destroy estimated 300 homes, former police chief to lead Bushfire Recovery Victoria |date=6 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=6 January 2020}}

On 13 January 2020, two bushfires were burning at emergency level in Victoria despite milder conditions, one about 8 km east of Abbeyard and the other in East Gippsland affecting Tamboon, Tamboon South and Furnel.{{cite web |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-bushfires-emergency-warnings-victoria-east-gippsland/4d53fd33-d4ba-4afd-be3b-f3a65f004cf |title=Australia bushfires: Two emergency warnings issued in Victoria |date=13 January 2020 |website=Guardian Australia |location=Australia |access-date=28 January 2020}}{{dead link|date=March 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

On 23 January 2020, there were still 12 fires burning in Victoria, the strongest in East Gippsland and the north-east. The Buldah fire in East Gippsland was at watch and act level and the rest were on advice level. Most of the 44 fires sparked by dry lightning were quickly dealt with by firefighters. Heavy rain in the Melbourne region brought little relief to bushfire-affected regions. Andrews said that the rains could bring new dangers for firefighters, including landslides.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/23/australia-bushfires-brown-rain-falls-in-melbourne-as-temperatures-soar-and-fires-flare-in-nsw |title=Australia bushfires: brown rain falls in Melbourne as temperatures soar and fires flare in NSW |date=23 January 2020 |website=Guardian Australia |location=Australia |access-date=28 January 2020}}

On 30 and 31 January 2020, very hot weather occurred in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia that brought high fire danger with several uncontrolled bushfires still burning. An Emergency Warning was issued for Bendoc, Bendoc Upper, and Bendoc North on 30 January.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/30/heatwave-brings-dangerous-fire-conditions-to-bushfire-ravaged-nsw-victoria-south-australia |title=Heatwave brings dangerous fire conditions to bushfire-ravaged Australia |date=23 January 2020 |website=Guardian Australia |location=Australia |access-date=28 January 2020}}

On 20 February 2020, the huge East Gippsland bushfire that had burned for three months was declared "contained" by Bairnsdale incident controller Brett Mitchell. Recent rainfall also contributed to the Omeo, Anglers Rest, Cobungra, Bindi, Hotham Heights, Glen Valley, Benambra, Swifts Creek, Omeo, Ensay, Tongio, the Blue Rag Range, Dargo and Tabberabbera bushfires all being contained. The Snowy complex fire in the far east was the single major remaining fire still burning in Victoria.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-20/east-gippsland-bushfire-contained-after-burning-for-three-months/11982744?sf230399609=1 |title=Huge East Gippsland bushfire that burned for three months finally declared 'contained' |date=20 February 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=20 February 2020}}

All significant fires in Victoria, including the Snowy Complex fire, were declared contained on 27 February 2020.{{cite web |url=https://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/-/final-significant-fire-contained-in-victoria |title=Final significant fire contained in Victoria |date=28 February 2020 |website=CFA News and Media |location=Australia |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-date=7 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307234141/https://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/-/final-significant-fire-contained-in-victoria |url-status=dead }}

File:Satellite_image_of_bushfire_smoke_over_Eastern_Australia_(December_2019).jpg and northern New South Wales bushfires in November 2019. At the time, the smoke spread eastward and reached Tasman Sea.]]

On 7 September 2019 multiple out of control blazes threatened townships across south-eastern and northern Queensland, destroying eleven houses in {{QLDcity|Beechmont}}, seven houses in Stanthorpe, and one house at Mareeba.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/07/bushfires-rage-across-queensland-and-nsw-destroying-at-least-15-homes |title=Bushfires: more than 20 homes lost as more than 70 blazes rage in Queensland and NSW |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=7 September 2019 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212151716/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/07/bushfires-rage-across-queensland-and-nsw-destroying-at-least-15-homes |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live}} On the following day the heritage-listed lodge and cabins at the iconic Australian nature-based Binna Burra Lodge were destroyed in the bushfire that consumed residential houses in Beechmont the previous day.{{cite news |last1=Forbes |first1=Tom |last2=Kane |first2=Charmaine |title=Inside the devastation and heartache of razed Binna Burra lodge |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/queensland-bushfire-emergency-binnna-burra-lodge-gold-coast-fire/11499472 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=11 September 2019}}

A large fire impacted the Peregian Beach area on 9 September, on the Sunshine Coast, severely damaging ten houses.{{cite news |title=More homes razed on Sunshine Coast |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/homes-and-livestock-still-at-risk-from-historic-bushfires/news-story/91ff483b41011ef4e930a4bd0eae5f4e |work=The Australian |url-access=subscription}} In December 2019, Peregian Springs and the surrounding areas came under threat by bushfires for the second time in a couple of months. No homes in Peregian Springs area were confirmed lost in this bushfire.{{Cite news |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=2019-09-09 |title=Homes lost on sunshine coast as Queensland bushfires continue to burn |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/09/homes-lost-on-sunshine-coast-as-queensland-bushfires-continue-to-burn |access-date=2024-04-01 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Due to deteriorating fire conditions and fires threatening homes across the state, on 9 November a State of Fire Emergency was declared across 42 local government areas across southern, central, northern and far-northern Queensland.{{Cite news |url=https://brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/authorities-declare-state-of-fire-emergency-in-parts-of-queensland-20191109-p5391v.html |title=Authorities declare 'state of fire emergency' in parts of Queensland |date=9 November 2019 |work=Brisbane Times |access-date=2 January 2020}} 14 homes were destroyed in the Yeppoon area during mid November 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/14/nsw-and-queensland-fires-fourth-person-confirmed-dead-in-bushfires-near-kempsey |title=NSW and Qld fires: teenager accused of lighting destructive bushfire near Yeppoon |work=The Guardian Australian Edition |date=14 November 2020 |agency=Australian Associated Press |access-date=7 February 2020}}

On 27 October a fire started in inaccessible Defence land at the Canungra Military Area. Firefighters attempted to contain the fire with extensive water bombing until weather conditions improved. On 8 November, the fire broke through the containment line and impacted 30 houses in Lower Beechmont, resulting in the evacuation of the village. All houses were saved, though a shed and several outbuildings were lost.{{cite web |title=Lower Beechmont - bushfire as at 9.15am Tues 19 Nov |url=https://newsroom.psba.qld.gov.au/Content/Local-News/ENL/Article/-span-style-font-weight-bold-Lower-Beechmont-span-bushfire-as-at-9-15am-Tues-19-Nov-/1017/1071/15113 |website=QFES Newsroom |publisher=Queensland Fire and Emergency Services |access-date=23 January 2021 |archive-date=20 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620030242/https://newsroom.psba.qld.gov.au/Content/Local-News/ENL/Article/-span-style-font-weight-bold-Lower-Beechmont-span-bushfire-as-at-9-15am-Tues-19-Nov-/1017/1071/15113 |url-status=dead }}

On 11 November a fire started in the Ravensbourne area near Toowoomba, which burnt through over {{convert|20000|ha}} of bush across several days, destroying six houses.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/queensland-bushfires-emergency-destroys-homes-ravensbourne/11718954 |title=Crews battle fire front 100 kilometres long as four homes destroyed in Ravensbourne |last=Chen |first=David |date=21 November 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126013406/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/queensland-bushfires-emergency-destroys-homes-ravensbourne/11718954 |archive-date=26 November 2019 |url-status=live}} At 8 am the air quality in Brisbane reached unprecedentedly poor levels (Woolloongabba PM2.5 238.8 μg/m³). Queensland's chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, urged residents to stay indoors and to not physically exert themselves.{{cite web |author=Layt, Stuart |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/unprecedented-smoke-health-hazard-residents-urged-to-stay-indoors-20191111-p539gu.html |title='Unprecedented' smoke health hazard: Residents urged to stay indoors |website=Brisbane Times |date=11 November 2019 |access-date=4 January 2020}}

On 13 November a water bombing helicopter crashed while fighting the blazes threatening the small community of Pechey. While the Bell 214 helicopter was completely destroyed, the pilot walked away with minor injuries.{{Cite news |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/waterbombing-aircraft-crash-lands-fighting-bushfires-in-queensland/news-story/36f46fe61e383ac5818f23450d469ca1 |title=Waterbombing aircraft crash-lands fighting bushfires in Queensland |date=13 November 2019 |work=The Courier Mail |access-date=14 November 2019 |url-access=subscription}}

On 23 November the state of fire emergency was revoked and extended fire bans were put in place in local government areas that were previously affected under this declaration.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

On 6 December a house fire broke out in Bundamba and quickly spread to nearby bushland and was placed under a watch and act alert by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services that afternoon. The following day, after worsening conditions, the fire was upgraded to an emergency warning and began to threaten homes in the local community. The fire destroyed a shipping container filled with fireworks, and residents within the {{convert|3|km2|adj=on}} exclusion zone were ordered to evacuate. One home was destroyed.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/07/australia-fires-blazes-too-big-to-put-out-as-140-bushfires-rage-in-nsw-and-queensland |title=Australia fires: blazes 'too big to put out' as 140 bushfires rage in NSW and Queensland |last=Doherty |first=Ben |date=8 December 2019 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}}

On 8 November a bushfire broke out in forestry to the west of the township of Jimna, causing Queensland Fire and Emergency services to issue a "watch and act" alert. The fire caused the evacuation of the entire town.{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/QldFireandEmergencyServices/posts/2595410360539508 |title=Queensland Fire and Emergency Services – QFES |website=facebook.com}}{{Primary source inline|date=May 2020}}

On 11 November 2019 an emergency bushfire warning was issued for Port Lincoln in the Eyre Peninsula, with an uncontrolled fire travelling towards the town. The South Australian Country Fire Service ordered ten water bombers to the area to assist 26 ground crews at the scene. SA Power Networks disconnected power to the town.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-11/sa-emergency-warning-for-bushfire-near-port-lincoln-township/11694262 |title=Emergency warning issued for uncontrolled bushfire travelling towards Port Lincoln |date=11 November 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=2 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112080124/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-11/sa-emergency-warning-for-bushfire-near-port-lincoln-township/11694262 |archive-date=12 November 2019 |url-status=live}}

File:2020-01-03_Kangaroo_Island_Fire_Aqua_MODIS-LABELS.png satellite imagery on 3 January 2020 showing bushfires on Kangaroo Island.]]

A large fire broke out on Yorke Peninsula on 20 November 2019 and threatened the towns of {{SAcity|Yorketown}} and {{SAcity|Edithburgh}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/cfs-crews-battle-more-than-40-fires-on-day-of-recordbreaking-november-heat/news-story/2a8d6a4f0b8f80a060e027d2b7c4e2f7 |title=CFS crews battle more than 40 fires on day of record-breaking November heat |first1=Mitch |last1=Mott |first2=Gabriel |last2=Polychronis |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=21 November 201 |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127054918/https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/cfs-crews-battle-more-than-40-fires-on-day-of-recordbreaking-november-heat/news-story/2a8d6a4f0b8f80a060e027d2b7c4e2f7 |archive-date=27 November 2019 |url-status=live}} It destroyed at least eleven homes and burnt approximately {{convert|5000|ha}}. The fire was believed to have started from a sparking electrical transformer.{{cite news |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/residents-return-to-their-homes-after-monster-bushfire-in-edithburgh-and-yorkes/news-story/edc1698d3e6a7db1ab6f20fb26ac2620 |title=Residents return to their homes after monster bushfire in Edithburgh and Yorkes |first1=Josephine |last1=Lim |first2=Ben |last2=Harvy |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=22 November 2019 |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127054826/https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/residents-return-to-their-homes-after-monster-bushfire-in-edithburgh-and-yorkes/news-story/edc1698d3e6a7db1ab6f20fb26ac2620 |archive-date=27 November 2019 |url-status=live}} A Boeing 737 water-bombing aircraft from New South Wales in addition to South Australian Air Tractor AT-802s were used to protect the town of Edithburgh.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/sa-bushfire-destroys-home-as-yorketown-fire-burns-out-control/11723302 |title=SA bushfire that damaged 11 properties caused by 'power network fault' |date=21 November 2019 |access-date=25 December 2019 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127175558/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/sa-bushfire-destroys-home-as-yorketown-fire-burns-out-control/11723302 |archive-date=27 November 2019 |url-status=live}}

On 20 December fires took hold in the Adelaide Hills, and near {{SAcity|Cudlee Creek}} in the Mount Lofty Ranges.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220222620/https://dhs.sa.gov.au/services/disaster-recovery/cudleecreek |archive-date=20 December 2019 |url=https://dhs.sa.gov.au/services/disaster-recovery/cudleecreek |title=Cudlee Creek fire – December 2019 |date=20 December 2019 |website=Department of Human Service |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=21 December 2019}} Initial south-easterly winds put the towns of Lobethal and {{SAcity|Lenswood}} in the line of the fire, and by the next morning the winds had changed to north-north-west, threatening other towns.{{cite web |url=https://www.google.org/publicalerts/alert?aid=260bdeb217d449a7&hl=en&gl=AU&source=web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220223545/https://www.google.org/publicalerts/alert?aid=260bdeb217d449a7&hl=en&gl=AU&source=web |archive-date=20 December 2019 |title=Bushfire Watch and Act: Hollands Creek Road, Cudlee Creek |date=21 December 2019 |website=Google Public Alerts |access-date=21 December 2019}} The fires killed one person,{{cite web |author=Zhou, Naaman |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/21/australian-bushfires-death-toll-rises-as-temperatures-soar-in-severe-heatwave |title=Bushfire death toll rises as fires sweep across South Australia and NSW |work=Guardian Australia |date=21 December 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221060338/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/21/australian-bushfires-death-toll-rises-as-temperatures-soar-in-severe-heatwave |archive-date=21 December 2019 |access-date=21 December 2019}} more than 70 houses were destroyed, as well as over 400 outbuildings and 200 cars.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-22/adelaide-hills-bushfire-destroys-more-than-70-homes/11821702 |title=Adelaide Hills bushfire destroys more than 70 homes |date=22 December 2019 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=22 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222151957/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-22/adelaide-hills-bushfire-destroys-more-than-70-homes/11821702 |archive-date=22 December 2019 |url-status=live}} Yearly Christmas celebrations at Lobethal were cancelled.{{cite news |url=https://7news.com.au/news/sa/sa-bushfires-lobethal-lights-cancelled-as-fresh-blaze-rages-at-virginia-c-615902 |title=SA bushfires: Lobethal lights cancelled as fresh blaze rages at Virginia |first=Emily |last=Olle |work=7news.com.au |date=20 December 2019 |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223030009/https://7news.com.au/news/sa/sa-bushfires-lobethal-lights-cancelled-as-fresh-blaze-rages-at-virginia-c-615902 |archive-date=23 December 2019 |url-status=live}} volunteers from around the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges areas responded to the unfolding incident; this resulted in a number of fire trucks being overrun by the fast moving fire. One of the trucks involved was Seaford 34. The crews were attempting to prevent the fire from crossing Croft Rd at Cudlee Creek when a wind change pushed the fire front towards them. The crews took shelter in their truck until the fire front passed. The crews were taken back to Lobethal were they continued to assist community members whilst on foot with asset protection as the fire front moved through.

Also on 20 December, an out-of-control bushfire took hold near Angle Vale, starting from the Northern Expressway and burning through Buchfelde and across the Gawler River. At 11:07 am ACDT the fire was burning under catastrophic weather conditions and an emergency warning was issued for Hillier, Munno Para Downs, Kudla, Munno Para West and Angle Vale. One house was destroyed.{{cite news |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-hills-homes-destroyed-by-huge-bushfire-as-cfs-heroes-battle-the-elements-across-the-state/news-story/421f6298c0611eacceda53f242fad2b3 |title=Adelaide Hills homes destroyed by huge bushfire as CFS heroes battle the elements across the state |first=Steve |last=Rice |author2=staff reporters |newspaper=The Advertiser |date=20 December 2019 |access-date=21 January 2020}}

Another emergency warning was issued on 3 January for a fire near Kersbrook. At its largest extent, the warning area overlapped with areas that a few days earlier had been in warnings for the Cudlee Creek fire. Water bombers delivered 21 loads in just over an hour before darkness fell, and 150 firefighters on 25 trucks plus bulk water carriers and earthmoving equipment limited the advance of the fire to {{convert|18|ha}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/strike-teams-and-water-bombers-inbound-to-battle-out-of-control-kersbrook-fire/news-story/02debd4013bb987afe39d01b493f14ce |title=Strike teams and water bombers to battle out of control Kersbrook fire |first=Mitch |last=Mott |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=4 January 2020 |access-date=4 January 2019}}

On Kangaroo Island starting in the Flinders Chase National Park, the Ravine bushfire burnt in excess of {{convert|15000|ha|acre}} and a bushfire emergency warning was issued on 3 January 2020 as the fire advanced towards Vivonne Bay and the town of {{SAcity|Parndana}} was evacuated.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/cfs-battles-kangaroo-island-fire-amid-extreme-heat/11838600 |title=Kangaroo Island bushfire emergency declared as firefighters warn they can't stop fire spreading, Adelaide Hills ablaze again |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=3 January 2020}}{{cite news |last=Mott |first=Mitch |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/ravine-fire-burning-on-kangaroo-island-virtually-unstoppable-in-current-conditions-cfs-says/news-story/e8ce03fa2178a0148a324627cabeb611 |title=Ravine fire burning on Kangaroo Island 'virtually unstoppable' as major towns only safe place left on island |work=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=3 January 2020}} On 4 January it was confirmed at least two people died.{{cite news |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/kangaroo-island-fires-two-confirmed-dead-as-blazes-continue-to-burn-c-632266 |title=Kangaroo Island fires: Two confirmed dead as blazes continue to burn |first=Emily |last=Olle |work=7news.com.au |date=4 January 2020}} {{as of|2020|01|06}} approximately {{convert|170000|ha}}, representing about a third of the island, had been burnt. Fires remained burning out of control, with firefighters working to contain and control fires before potentially hot windy weather scheduled for later in the week. Following fire damage to a water treatment plant, residents were asked to conserve water and some water was carted into island towns. There were concerns for the future of threatened wildlife, such as glossy black cockatoos, Kangaroo Island dunnarts, and koalas. Authorities stated that any koalas taken to the mainland for treatment cannot return to the island in case they bring diseases back with them.{{efn|Kangaroo Island koalas are free of chlamydia, which affects koalas on the mainland.}}{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-05/firefighting-continues-on-kangaroo-island-on-sunday/11841610 |title=Kangaroo Island fires continue as locals count cost of damage to infrastructure, animals |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020}}

File:Australian_bushfires_as_viewed_from_the_ISS.jpg, 4 January 2020.]]

File:Smoke from bushfires in Perth's southern suburbs, seen from Manning Park lookout, November 2019 01.jpg

Two bushfires burnt in Geraldton on 13 November, damaging homes and small structures.{{cite web |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/two-homes-feared-destroyed-two-damaged-in-geraldton-blazes-ng-b881381716z |title=Two homes feared destroyed |date=13 November 2019 |website=PerthNow |access-date=15 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115003601/https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/two-homes-feared-destroyed-two-damaged-in-geraldton-blazes-ng-b881381716z |archive-date=15 November 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-13/bushfire-emergency-in-wa-town-of-geraldton/11701868 |title=Bushfire 'perfect storm' as twin blazes hit WA port city of Geraldton |date=13 November 2019 |website=ABC News |access-date=15 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114175103/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-13/bushfire-emergency-in-wa-town-of-geraldton/11701868 |archive-date=14 November 2019 |url-status=live}}

A fire broke out in Yanchep at 2:11 pm on 11 December, immediately triggering an emergency warning for Yanchep and Two Rocks. The fire led to a service station exploding.{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/petrol-station-razed-in-fire-emergency-north-of-perth-as-temperatures-soar-20191211-p53j45.html |title=Petrol station razed in bushfire north of Perth as heatwave sets in |last=Hastie |first=Hamish |date=11 December 2019 |website=The Age |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213184152/https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/petrol-station-razed-in-fire-emergency-north-of-perth-as-temperatures-soar-20191211-p53j45.html |archive-date=13 December 2019 |url-status=live}} On 12 December, temperatures in excess of {{convert|40|C}} exacerbated the fire, and the emergency warning area doubled including parts of Guilderton and Brenton Bay further north.{{cite web |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-bushfires-yanchep-fire-flares-up-again-threat-to-lives-and-homes-20191212-p53jai.html |title=More homes under threat as 'dynamic' Yanchep fires gain intensity |last=Cross |first=Daile |date=12 December 2019 |website=WAtoday |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213183942/https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-bushfires-yanchep-fire-flares-up-again-threat-to-lives-and-homes-20191212-p53jai.html |archive-date=13 December 2019 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/15/western-australia-bushfire-emergency-continues-as-sydney-braces-for-a-smoky-sunday |title=NSW fires: residents in path of 370,000ha bushfire near Sydney told it's 'too late to leave' |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=15 December 2019 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217100435/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/15/western-australia-bushfire-emergency-continues-as-sydney-braces-for-a-smoky-sunday |archive-date=17 December 2019 |url-status=live}} On 13 December, increased temperature conditions resulted in the fire burning in excess of {{convert|5000|hectare}}, with the fire front over {{convert|1.5|km}} in length. {{As of|2019|12|13}}, the emergency warning area stretched from Yanchep north to Lancelin over {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} away.{{cite web |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/yanchep-fires-two-rocks-under-ember-attack-residents-urged-to-leave-20191213-p53jmn.html |title=Perth fires: Two Rocks fire emergency expands beyond Perth metro area |last=Cross |first=Daile |date=13 December 2019 |website=WAtoday |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213170410/https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/yanchep-fires-two-rocks-under-ember-attack-residents-urged-to-leave-20191213-p53jmn.html |archive-date=13 December 2019 |url-status=live}} By 16 December, the fire was considered contained and the alert downgraded to watch and act.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-16/yanchep-two-rocks-bushfire-emergency-fire-crews-make-progress/11802140 |title=Bushfire threat eases north of Perth and near Collie after heatwave |date=16 December 2019 |website=ABC News |access-date=1 January 2020}} Approximately {{convert|13000|hectare}} were burnt; only two buildings were damaged, both within the first day of the fire starting.

In December fires in the region around Norseman blocked access to the Eyre Highway and the Nullarbor Plain and caused the highways of the region to be blocked,{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/nullarbor-road-closures-to-last-five-days-causing-food-shortages/11837324 |title=Bushfires cutting off Nullarbor likely to cost millions and cause food shortages in Perth |author1=Lucas, Jarrod |author2=Hamlyn, Charlotte |author3=da Silva, Ivo |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=3 January 2020}} so as to prevent any recurrence of the 2007 death of truck drivers on the Great Eastern Highway.{{cite news |author=Lucas, Jarrod |title=Coolgardie-Esperance Highway shut down as bushfire rages near Norseman |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-20/christmas-chaos-as-bushfires-affect-nullarbor/11819578 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=20 December 2019 |access-date=3 January 2020}}{{cite news |work=ABC News |location=Australia |title=WA coroner scathing on fire deaths |date=20 November 2009 |via=Trove, National Library of Australia |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/188237520 |access-date=3 January 2020}}

Between 26 December 2019 and 1 January 2020, as a result of a lightning strike,{{cite news |title=Stirling Range bushfire continues to pose threat |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/bushfires/stirling-range-bushfire-continues-to-pose-threat-ng-b881422021z |access-date=8 January 2020 |work=Perth Now |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=31 December 2019}} a fire tore through {{convert|40000|hectare}} of land in Stirling Range National Park in the southwest of the state, burning more than half of the park.{{cite news |last1=Logan |first1=Tyne |last2=Dobson |first2=John |title=Western Australia bushfires devastate the Stirling Ranges – one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-07/bushfires-cause-stirling-ranges-biodiversity-to-be-devastated/11844516 |access-date=8 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=7 January 2020}} The pyrocumulus cloud from the fires could be seen {{cvt|80|km}} south in Albany.{{cite news |last1=Mochan |first1=Kit |last2=Bennet |first2=Mark |title=Volunteer firefighters say Stirling Range National Park mega-blaze underscores need for more resources |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-06/stirling-mega-blaze-volunteer-response/11842422 |access-date=8 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=5 January 2020}} By New Year's Day 2020 a crew of 200 firefighters brought the fire back to advice level without any loss of life or major property damage (a park ranger hut and hiking tracks were destroyed). However, conservationists raised concerns for the potential loss of rare and unique flora and fauna that live in the park, which contains over 1500 such species within its boundaries, including a rare population of quokkas (one of few in mainland Western Australia). A local politician, firefighters, farmers and tourism operators called on Western Australian Emergency Minister Fran Logan to invest in local firefighting assets for the area to make sure the tourist destination was properly protected.

The last fire of Western Australian 2019–20 bushfire season started in Lake Clifton, within the Shire of Waroona, on 2 May and was extinguished on 3 May.{{cite news |title=WA Bushfire Emergency Warning: Lake Clifton In Shire of Waroona |url=http://www.ewn.com.au/alerts/wa-bushfire-emergency-warning-lake-468585.weather |work=The Australian Early Warning Network – www.ewn.com.au |date=2 May 2020 |access-date=12 June 2020 |archive-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612145842/http://www.ewn.com.au/alerts/wa-bushfire-emergency-warning-lake-468585.weather |url-status=dead }} The Lake Clifton area was severely damaged during the 2010–11 bushfire season.{{cite news |title=Raging bushfire threatens homes, lives in Lake Clifton |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/raging-bushfire-threatens-homes-lives-in-lake-clifton-20200502-p54p8w.html |access-date=12 June 2020 |work=WAtoday |date=2 May 2020 |language=en}}

In late October 2019, four bushfires were burning near Scamander, Elderslie, and Lachlan. Emergency warnings were issued at Lulworth, Bothwell, and Lachlan. A large fire near {{TAScity|Swansea}} also burnt over {{convert|4000|ha}}. Lightning strikes subsequently started multiple fires in Southwest Tasmania.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/tasmania-news-briefing-tuesday-october-29/11646270 |title=Tasmania Now: Watch and act fire alerts for two blazes north of Hobart |date=29 October 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=15 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104193547/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/tasmania-news-briefing-tuesday-october-29/11646270 |archive-date=4 November 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-02/reprieve-for-tasmanian-fires-but-warnings-not-to-be-complacent/11665070 |title=Longer fire season stretches volunteers, with calls for compensation |last=Cooper |first=Erin |date=2 November 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=15 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110111857/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-02/reprieve-for-tasmanian-fires-but-warnings-not-to-be-complacent/11665070 |archive-date=10 November 2019 |url-status=live}} On 20 December 2019, a fire was started in the north east, which spread to {{convert|15000|ha}} and destroyed one home; a man was charged with starting the fire.{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-04/man-charged-with-unlawfully-starting-fire-in-tasmania/11841018 |title=Man charged with unlawfully starting fire in Tasmania during total fire ban |first=Ainsley |last=Koch |date=4 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia}}

Two fires continued to burn in January 2020. A fire in the Fingal Valley, in north-eastern Tasmania, started on 29 December, and a fire at Pelham, north of Hobart, started on 30 December. {{as of|2020|01|16}} the Fingal fire had burnt over {{convert|20000|ha}} and the Pelham fire over {{convert|2100|ha}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-06/tasmania-prepares-for-spike-in-weather-condition/11845044 |title=Tasmanian fire crews battling blazes prepare for spike in weather conditions |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=6 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-17/tasmania-news-briefing-17-january/11874940 |title=Weather window for fire control |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=17 January 2020}}

File:Orroral Valley Fire viewed from Tuggeranong January 2020.jpg in southern Canberra]]

In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the national capital Canberra was blanketed by thick bushfire smoke on New Year's Day from bushfires burning nearby in New South Wales. That day the air quality in the capital was the worst of any city in the world, at around 23 times the threshold to be considered hazardous. Conditions continued the next day, and Australia Post stopped postal deliveries in the ACT to keep workers safe from smoke.{{cite news |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/canberra-s-air-quality-is-the-worst-in-the-world-as-bushfire-smoke-shrouds-capital |title=Canberra's air quality is 'the worst in the world' as bushfire smoke shrouds capital |work=SBS News |location=Australia |date=1 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-bushfires-smoke-blanketing-canberra-air-quality-worst-in-world/9fbdbc16-a7da-4bf5-b39a-d881d589ea4d |title=Canberra air quality 'worst in world' as bushfire smoke chokes capital |work=Nine News |date=2 January 2020}} The first death directly linked to the poor air quality was also recorded on 2 January. An elderly woman had been travelling from Brisbane to Canberra by plane. When she exited the plane onto the smoke-flooded tarmac, she suffered respiratory distress and then died.{{cite news |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/act/2020/01/02/woman-dies-after-exposure-to-bushfire-smoke-smothering-canberra/ |title=Woman dies after exposure to bushfire smoke smothering Canberra |work=The New Daily |date=2 January 2020}} On 2 January 2020, the ACT declared a state of alert;{{cite press release |author1=Barry, Yvette |author-link1=Yvette Berry |author2=Gentleman, Mick |author-link2=Mick Gentleman |title=State of Alert declared for ACT |url=https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/yvette-berry-mla-media-releases/2020/state-of-alert-declared-for-act2 |website=ACT Government |access-date=6 January 2020 |date=2 January 2020}} that was extended on 12 January as the merged Dunns Road fire burnt {{convert|7|km|mi|0|spell=on}} from the Territory's south-west border.{{cite news |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6576023/state-of-alert-extended-as-act-firefighters-target-fire-seven-kilometres-from-border/ |title=State of alert extended as ACT firefighters target fire seven kilometres from border |work=The Canberra Times |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=12 January 2020}} Smoke from nearby bushfires continued to severely impact Canberra's air quality intermittently throughout January 2020.

From at least 6 January 2020 a bushfire near Hospital Hill in the Namadgi National Park had started; it was extinguished on 9 January.{{cite web |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6574017/hospital-hill-fire-extinguished-as-total-fire-ban-declared/ |title=Canberra total fire ban, as Hospital Hill fire extinguished |author= |date=9 January 2020 |website=The Canberra Times |publisher=Australian Community Media |access-date=28 January 2020}}

On 22 January 2020 a bushfire started in {{ACTcity|Pialligo}} Redwood Forest; it reached emergency level, threatening {{ACTcity|Beard}} and {{ACTcity|Oaks Estate}}. The next day a second bushfire started, the Kallaroo Fire, which later during the day merged with the Redwood Forest fire forming the Beard Fire; the fire jumped the Molonglo River and threatened the suburbs of {{ACTcity|Beard}}, {{ACTcity|Harman}} and Oaks Estate as it burnt {{convert|424|ha}}. Canberra Airport was closed for a day.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-23/bushfire-burning-at-pialligo-in-canberra/11892476 |title=Canberra fire that caused cancelled flights, jumped Molonglo River downgraded to advice |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=24 January 2020 |access-date=25 January 2020}}{{cite news |author=Coughlan, Matt |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6594969/canberra-bushfire-alert-level-downgraded/?cs=14231 |title=Canberra bushfire alert level downgraded |work=The Canberra Times |date=23 January 2020 |access-date=25 January 2020 |agency=Australian Associated Press}}{{cite web |url=https://esa.act.gov.au/advice-beard-fire |title=Beard Fire |author= |date=27 January 2020 |website=Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency |publisher=Government of the Australian Capital Territory |access-date=28 January 2020}} The fire destroyed one facility, four outbuildings, and three vehicles.{{cite web |title=ACT ESA |url=https://twitter.com/ACT_ESA/status/1220595347803668480 |author=Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency |date=24 January 2020 |website=Twitter |access-date=28 January 2020 |author-link=Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency}}{{Primary source inline|date=May 2020}}

File:Smoke from the Orroral Valley fire, Tharwa NSW.jpg]]

On 27 January 2020 a bushfire started in the Orroral Valley in the Namadgi National Park. At 1:30 pm, an Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter conducting reconnaissance for landing sites for remote area firefighting teams attempted to land for a break when their landing light ignited a fire in dry grass.{{cite news |last1=Inman |first1=Michael |last2=Allen |first2=Craig |title=A Defence chopper sparked Canberra's Namadgi bushfire, but its crew didn't tell authorities the location for 45 minutes |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/defence-caused-orroral-valley-fire-didnt-tell-authorities-where/12933306 |access-date=14 December 2020 |work=ABC News |date=30 November 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Jake |title=Canberra facing 'most serious' threat since 2003 fires as Namadgi's Orroral Valley blaze worsens |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-28/namadgi-orroral-valley-fire-to-canberras-south-worsening/11907438 |access-date=28 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=28 January 2020}}{{cite web |title=Orroral Valley Bushfire Update |url=https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/orroral-valley-bushfire-update |website=Defence News |date=28 January 2020 |publisher=Department of Defence |access-date=28 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128104453/https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/orroral-valley-bushfire-update |archive-date=28 January 2020}} The aircrew waited until landing at Canberra Airport at about 2:15 pm to notify the ACT Emergency Services Agency meanwhile a fire tower had spotted white smoke at 1:49 pm and a search had commenced to locate the fire. By the morning of 28 January the fire had grown to {{convert|2575|ha}} and was {{convert|9|km}} from the town of Tharwa.{{cite web |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6600587/namadgi-fire-now-at-2575ha-total-fire-ban-declared/ |title=Orroral Valley bushfire breaks out in Namadgi National Park |author1=Brown, Andrew |author2=Dingwall, Doug |author3=Brewer, Peter |date=28 January 2020 |website=The Canberra Times |access-date=28 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://the-riotact.com/new-fire-breaks-out-west-of-canberra/353219 |title=New fire breaks out south west of Canberra, near Tharwa |last=Weaver |first=Michael |website=Riot Act |publisher=Region Group Pty Ltd |access-date=28 January 2020}} An emergency warning was declared for Tharwa and the southern suburbs of Canberra – particularly Banks, Gordon, and Conder — just after 1:30 pm AEST on 28 January. Chief Minister Andrew Barr described the fire as the biggest threat to Canberra since the 2003 Canberra bushfires.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Andrew |last2=Biden |first2=Lucy |title=Orroral Valley fire in Namadgi National Park upgraded to emergency level |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6602296/its-now-too-late-to-leave-tharwa-as-orroral-valley-fire-burns-at-emergency-level/?cs=14225 |access-date=28 January 2020 |work=The Canberra Times |date=28 January 2020}} At midday on 31 January, Barr declared a state of emergency for the ACT, the first time such action had occurred since the 2003 fires.{{cite news |last1=Midena |first1=Kate |title=ACT enters state of emergency as Namadgi's Orroral Valley bushfire is upgraded to Watch and Act |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-31/act-in-state-of-emergency/11917546 |access-date=31 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=31 January 2020}} As the Orroral Valley Fire burned out of control, many instances of ‘disaster tourism’ were reported from suburban south Tuggeranong, with people driving to the suburbs to see the fire and take photographs; in turn blocking traffic.{{cite web |last1=Samaras |first1=Denholm |title='Disaster tourism' flames fury and frustration |url=https://canberraweekly.com.au/disaster-tourism-flames-fury-and-frustration/ |website=Canberra Weekly |date=6 February 2020 |publisher=Newstate Media |access-date=6 December 2021}} The Orroral Valley fire was downgraded to "advice" status on 5 February and declared to be out on 27 February.{{cite web |title=INFORMATION UPDATE: ORRORAL VALLEY FIRE DECLARED OUT |url=https://esa.act.gov.au/information-update-orroral-valley-fire-declared-out |publisher=ACT Emergency Services Agency |access-date=29 February 2020 |date=27 February 2020}}

The Northern Territory went through a relatively average annual bushfire season with respect to area of land burnt, in comparison to the scale of bushfires witnessed in other areas of Australia. Despite this, approximately {{convert|6.8|e6ha|e6acre|abbr=off}} was burnt, an area which contributed significantly to the total area burnt by bushfires in the nation. Five homes were lost to bushfires in the Territory.{{Cite news |author=Noble, Freya |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/australian-bushfires-17-million-hectares-burnt-more-than-previously-thought/b8249781-5c86-4167-b191-b9f628bdd164 |title=Government set to revise total number of hectares destroyed during bushfire season |website=9News |date=14 January 2020 |access-date=14 January 2020}}

{{see also|List of major bushfires in Australia}}

There have been a number of large scale bushfires recorded in Australian history. The widespread 1938–1939 fires in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and the ACT similarly gained international headlines when the fires entered the Sydney suburbs,{{YouTube|id=UqeEjkawfrE|title=Fire And Gale in Australia (1939); British Pathe}} as did the 1994 eastern seaboard fires. The 1851 Black Thursday bushfires shocked colonial Australia with their ferocity, burning a quarter of what is now Victoria (around {{convert|5|e6ha|e6acre|abbr=off}}).{{cite web |url=https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/history-and-incidents/past-bushfires |title=Past bushfires: A chronology of major bushfires in Victoria from 2013 back to 1851 |work=Forest Management Victoria |publisher=Government of Victoria |date=10 January 2019 |access-date=26 January 2020}} Lesser known is that about {{convert|117|e6ha|e6acre|abbr=off}}, or 15 per cent of Australia's land mass, experienced fire in the summer of 1974–5. NSW was again badly affected, and three people killed. However, the fires were mainly in sparsely populated inland areas.{{cite news |last=Chang |first=Charis |date=8 January 2020 |title=How the 2019 Australian bushfire season compares to other fire disasters |work=news.com.au |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/how-the-2019-australian-bushfire-season-compares-to-other-fire-disasters/news-story/7924ce9c58b5d2f435d0ed73ffe34174 |access-date=9 January 2020}} The five most deadly blazes were: Black Saturday 2009 in Victoria (173 people killed, 2000 homes lost); Ash Wednesday 1983 in Victoria and South Australia (75 dead, nearly 1900 homes); Black Friday 1939 in Victoria (71 dead, 650 houses destroyed), Black Tuesday 1967 in Tasmania (62 people and almost 1300 homes); and the Gippsland fires and Black Sunday of 1926 in Victoria (60 people killed over a two-month period).{{cite news |author=Williams, Liz T. |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2011/11/the-worst-bushfires-in-australias-history/ |title=The worst bushfires in Australia's history |date=3 November 2011 |work=Australian Geographic |access-date=12 February 2020}}

Nationally, Australian National University described the 2019 fire year as "close to average"{{cite web |title=AUSTRALIA'S ENVIRONMENT SUMMARY REPORT 2019 |url=https://www.wenfo.org/aer/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/AustraliasEnvironment_2019_SummaryReport.pdf |publisher=Australian National University |access-date=30 October 2021 |pages=6 |quote=National fire activity was close to average: 10% below 2000–2018 average [...] total area burnt was 26 Mha; 42% below 2000–2018 average}} and the 2020 fire year as "unusually small".{{cite web |title=Australia's 2020 Environment REPORT |url=https://www.wenfo.org/aer/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2020-AusEnvReport-30-3-21.pdf |publisher=Australian National University |access-date=30 October 2021 |page=10 |date=2021 |quote=Nationally the area burnt was unusually small [...] Total area burnt was 17 Mha, 90% below the 2000– 2019 average}}

File:05 366 5th January 2020 (49360641178).jpg turned orange due to the smoke of the bushfire, 5 January 2020]]

In mid-December 2019, a NASA analysis revealed that since 1 August, the New South Wales and Queensland bushfires had emitted {{convert|250|e6t|e6ST|abbr=off}} of carbon dioxide (CO{{sub|2}}).{{cite news |author=Readfearn, Graham |work=Guardian Australia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/13/australias-bushfires-have-emitted-250m-tonnes-of-co2-almost-half-of-countrys-annual-emissions |title=Australia's bushfires have emitted 250m tonnes of CO{{sub|2}}, almost half of country's annual emissions |date=13 December 2019 |access-date=2 January 2020}} A September 2021 study using satellite data estimated the CO₂ emissions of the fires from November 2019 to January 2020 to be ~715 million tons, about twice as much as earlier estimates. By comparison, in 2018, Australia's total carbon emissions were equivalent to {{convert|535|e6t|e6ST|abbr=off}} of CO{{sub|2}}, – the greenhouse gas emissions surpassed Australia's normal annual bushfire and fossil fuel emissions by ~80%. While the carbon emitted by the fires would normally be reabsorbed by forest regrowth, this would take decades and might not happen at all if prolonged drought has damaged the ability of forests to fully regrow.

In December 2019, the air quality index (AQI) around Rozelle, an inner suburb of Sydney, hit 2,552 or more than 12 times the hazardous level of 200.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/sydney-air-soars-to-12-times-hazardous-levels-under-toxic-blanket-of-bushfire-smoke |title=Fires in Australia Just Pushed Sydney's Air Quality 12 Times Above 'Hazardous' Levels |last=Dockrill |first=Peter |website=ScienceAlert |date=11 December 2019 |access-date=10 January 2020}} The level of fine particle matters, known and measured globally as PM2.5, around Sydney was also measured at {{convert|734|μg|lk=on}} or the equivalent of 37 cigarettes.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50497492 |title=How bad is bushfire smoke for health? |date=5 December 2019 |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=BBC News }} On 1 January 2020, the AQI around Monash, a suburb of Canberra, was measured at 4,650, or more than 23 times hazardous level and peaked at 7,700.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/01/canberra-experiences-worst-air-quality-on-record-as-south-coast-bushfires-rage |title=Canberra experiences worst air quality on record as bushfire smoke from south coast sets in |last=Readfearn |first=Graham |date=1 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=10 January 2020}}

On New Year's Day 2020 in New Zealand, a blanket of smoke from the Australian fires covered the whole South Island, giving the sky an orange-yellow haze. People in Dunedin reported smelling smoke in the air. The MetService stated that the smoke would not have any adverse affects on the weather or temperature in the country.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118546900/blood-red-sun-greets-nz-on-new-years-day-as-australian-bushfire-smoke-stains-skies |title=Blood red sun greets NZ on New Years Day as Australian bushfire smoke stains skies |first=Joel |last=MacManus |work=Stuff |date=1 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/406523/australia-fires-sending-pretty-hefty-smoke-new-zealand-s-way |title=Australia fires sending 'pretty hefty smoke' New Zealand's way |via=Radio New Zealand |work=Otago Daily Times |date=1 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}} The smoke moved over the North Island the following day, but began breaking up and was not as intense as it was over the South Island the previous day; meanwhile, wind from the South Pacific Ocean dissipated the smoke over the South Island.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118554806/bushfire-smoke-moves-over-north-island-creating-an-eerie-sky |title=Bushfire smoke moves over North Island, creating an eerie sky |first=Michael |last=Daly |work=Stuff |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}} The smoke affected glaciers in the country, giving a brown tint to the snow.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118563496/just-one-more-horror-iconic-south-island-glaciers-stained-by-aussie-bushfires |title='Just one more horror': Iconic South Island glaciers stained by Aussie bushfires |first=Jake |last=Kenny |work=Stuff |date=2 January 2020 |access-date=2 January 2020}} On 5 January 2020, more smoke wafted over the North Island, turning the sky in Auckland orange.{{cite news |author=Kirkness, Luke |title=Smoke from Australian bushfires turn skies orange above New Zealand |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12298143 |access-date=5 January 2020 |date=5 January 2020 |work=The New Zealand Herald}} By 7 January 2020, the smoke was carried approximately {{convert|11000|km}} across the South Pacific Ocean to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.{{cite web |url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/88004/smoke-from-australian-fires-reaches-brazil/ |title=Smoke from fires in Australia reaches Brazil |work=The Brussels Times |date=8 January 2020 |author=McCullough, Evie |access-date=18 January 2020}}

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| caption1 = CO emitted by 2019–20 south-east bushfire captured by NASA Aqua AIRS instrument

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| caption2 = Smoke cloud covering the South Island of New Zealand on 1 January 2020; landmasses outlined in blue

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{{See also|Extinction risk from climate change}}

Prof. Chris Dickman, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science from the University of Sydney, estimated on 8 January 2020 that more than one billion animals were killed by bushfires in Australia; while more than 800 million animals perished in New South Wales. The estimate was based on a 2007 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report on impacts of land clearing on Australian wildlife in New South Wales that provided estimates of mammal, bird and reptile population density in the region. Dickman's calculation had been based on conservative estimates and the actual mortality could be higher. The figure provided by Dickman included mammals (excluding bats), birds, and reptiles; and did not include frogs, insects, or other invertebrates.{{Cite web |url=https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/01/08/australian-bushfires-more-than-one-billion-animals-impacted.html |title=More than one billion animals impacted in Australian bushfires |publisher=The University of Sydney |date=8 January 2020 |access-date=13 January 2020}} Other estimates, which include animals like bats, amphibians and invertebrates, also put the number killed at over a billion.{{Cite web |date=2020-01-30 |title=We fact checked claims bushfires have killed more than a billion animals. Here's what we found |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-31/fact-check-have-bushfires-killed-more-than-a-billion-animals/11912538 |access-date=2020-08-05 |website=RMIT ABC Fact Check |language=en-AU}}

A 2020 study estimated that at least 3 billion terrestrial vertebrates alone were displaced or killed by the fires, with reptiles (which tend to have higher population densities in affected areas compared to other vertebrates) comprising over two-thirds of the affected, with birds, mammals, and amphibians comprising the other third.{{Cite web |title=Nearly 3 billion animals killed or displaced by Australia fires |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/3-billion-animals-killed-displaced-australia-fires-200728095756845.html |access-date=2020-08-03 |website=www.aljazeera.com}}

Ecologists feared some endangered species were driven to extinction by the fires.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/04/ecologists-warn-silent-death-australia-bushfires-endangered-species-extinction |title='Silent death': Australia's bushfires push countless species to extinction |last=Readfearn |first=Graham |date=3 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=8 January 2020}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/01/09/australia-fire-animals-killed/ |title=A billion animals have been caught in Australia's fires. Some may go extinct. |author1=Brulliard, Karin |author2=Fears, Darryl |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=10 January 2020 |access-date=13 January 2020}} Though bushfires are not uncommon in Australia, they are usually of a lower scale and intensity that only affect small parts of the overall distribution of where species live. Animals that survived a bushfire could still find suitable habitats in the immediate vicinity, which was not the case when an entire distribution is decimated in an intense event. Besides immediate mortality from the fires, there were on-going mortalities after the fires from starvation, lack of shelter, and attacks from predators such as foxes and feral cats that are attracted to fire-affected areas to hunt.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/1/9/21057375/australia-fire-wildlife-extinctions-ecology |title=An Australian ecologist explains just how bad the fires are for wildlife |last=Resnick |first=Brian |date=9 January 2020 |website=Vox |access-date=10 January 2020}} At least one species, the Kate's leaf-tailed gecko, had the entirety of its habitat burnt by the fires, while the long-footed potoroo had over 82% habitat burnt.{{Cite journal |last1=Ward |first1=Michelle |last2=Tulloch |first2=Ayesha I. T. |last3=Radford |first3=James Q. |last4=Williams |first4=Brooke A. |last5=Reside |first5=April E. |last6=Macdonald |first6=Stewart L. |last7=Mayfield |first7=Helen J. |last8=Maron |first8=Martine |last9=Possingham |first9=Hugh P. |last10=Vine |first10=Samantha J. |last11=O’Connor |first11=James L. |date=2020-07-20 |title=Impact of 2019–2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat |url=http://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-1251-1 |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |volume=4 |issue=10 |pages=1321–1326 |language=en |doi=10.1038/s41559-020-1251-1 |pmid=32690905 |s2cid=220657021 |issn=2397-334X|url-access=subscription }} Many endangered species managed to persist through the fires, albeit with severely impacted populations that will not survive in the long-term without major human influence.{{Cite web |last1=Batsakis |first1=Anthea |last2=Mountain |first2=Wes |title=Click through the tragic stories of 119 species still struggling after Black Summer in this interactive (and how to help) |url=http://theconversation.com/click-through-the-tragic-stories-of-119-species-still-struggling-after-black-summer-in-this-interactive-and-how-to-help-131025 |access-date=2020-08-03 |website=The Conversation |date=14 July 2020 |language=en}} Species such as the Kangaroo Island micro-trapdoor spider and the Kangaroo Island assassin spider, feared extinct after the fires, have since been sighted.{{Cite report |last1=Marsh |first1=Jessica R |last2=Collis |first2=Andrew G |date=2023 |title=Threatened invertebrates of Kangaroo Island: insights into distribution and post-fire conservation status |language=en |doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.15489.63848}}{{Cite journal |last1=Marsh |first1=Jessica R. |last2=Bradford |first2=Tessa M. |last3=Cooper |first3=Steven J. B. |date=July 2023 |title=Strong Population Genetic Structure for the Endangered Micro-Trapdoor Spider Moggridgea rainbowi (Mygalomorphae, Migidae) in Unburnt Habitat after Catastrophic Bushfires |journal=Diversity |language=en |volume=15 |issue=7 |pages=827 |doi=10.3390/d15070827 |doi-access=free |issn=1424-2818}}{{Cite news |date=2021-11-16 |title=Ancient assassin spider rises from the ashes on bushfire-ravaged Kangaroo Island |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-11-17/assassin-spider-survives-kangaroo-island-bushfires/100623358 |access-date=2024-11-19 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}

On Kangaroo Island, Australia's third-largest island and known as Australia's "Galapagos Island",{{cite news |author=Nasrulla, Amber |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/the-darwinian-truth-behind-the-galapagos-of-australia/article15716075/ |title=The Darwinian horror behind the 'Galapagos of Australia' |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto, Canada |date=2 December 2013 |access-date=12 January 2020}} a third of the island was burnt. Large parts of the island are designated as protected areas and host animals such as sea lions, penguins, kangaroos, koalas, pygmy possums, southern brown bandicoots, Ligurian bees, Kangaroo Island dunnarts and various birds including glossy black cockatoos.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51102658 |title=Bushfires bring 'apocalypse' to Kangaroo Island |last=Khalil |first=Shaimaa |work=BBC News |date=17 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020}} NASA estimated that the number of dead koalas could be as high as 25,000 or about half the total population of the species on the island.{{Cite web |author=Dvorsky, George |url=https://earther.gizmodo.com/wildfires-have-absolutely-ravaged-australia-s-cherished-1840874134 |title=Wildfires Have Absolutely Ravaged Australia's Cherished Kangaroo Island |website=Earther |date=9 January 2020 |access-date=10 January 2020}} A quarter of the beehives of the Ligurian honey bees that inhabited the Island were believed to have been destroyed. Both the Kangaroo Island dunnart and Kangaroo Island subspecies of the glossy black cockatoo are endangered and are only found on Kangaroo Island. Before the fires, there were fewer than 500 Kangaroo Island dunnarts and about 380 Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoos.{{Cite web |url=https://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/kangarooisland/plants-and-animals/native-animals/Kangaroo_Island_Dunnart |title=Kangaroo Island dunnart |work=Department for Environment and Water (DEW) |date=12 June 2019 |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-date=10 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110221027/https://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/kangarooisland/plants-and-animals/native-animals/Kangaroo_Island_Dunnart |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/kangarooisland/plants-and-animals/native-animals/glossy-black-cockatoo-recovery |title=Glossy black-cockatoo |work=Department for Environment and Water (DEW) |date=29 March 2018 |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-date=13 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113014849/https://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/kangarooisland/plants-and-animals/native-animals/glossy-black-cockatoo-recovery |url-status=dead}}

The loss of an estimated 8,000 koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) caused concerns. They are considered vulnerable to extinction, though not functionally extinct.{{cite web |website=Vox |title=Are Australia's koalas going extinct? We asked an ecologist. |url=https://www.vox.com/videos/2020/1/14/21064675/australia-fire-koalas-extinct |date=14 January 2020 |access-date=8 February 2020 |author1=Danush Parvaneh |author2=Christophe Haubursin |author3=Melissa Hirsch}} {{cite web |website=National Geographic |title=No, koalas aren't 'functionally extinct'—yet |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/11/koalas-near-extinction-myth-australia-fires/ |author=Natasha Daly |date=25 November 2019 |access-date=8 February 2020}}

Due to the extremely dry conditions, some remnant areas of rainforest that—unlike most Australian vegetation—have not evolved and adapted to fire, were burnt in 2019–2020. This may have permanently reduced the extent of the 80-million year old rainforests, which were already scarce due to previous land clearing for agriculture and logging. Smaller, isolated remnant pockets of rainforest were totally destroyed and unlikely to recover, leading to local extinctions of rainforest flora and fauna. It was notable that the normally wet rainforest areas on the margins of schlerophyll forest, did not perform their usual role as a barrier to the spread of fire but were burnt.{{Cite news |last=Carey |first=Janene |date=2019-09-19 |title=Bees Nest fire causes unprecedented damage to Gondwana rainforest |work=The Macleay Argus |url=https://www.macleayargus.com.au/story/6393102/fighting-fire-in-rainforest-that-never-evolved-to-burn/}}{{Cite web |date=March 2020 |title=And then they burned |url=https://www.rainforestinformationcentre.org/2020_nsw_forest_updates |website=Rainforest information centre}}{{Cite web |last1=Shoebridge |first1=Joanne |last2=Marciniak |first2=Catherine |date=2020-01-18 |title=Gondwana-era nightcap oak devastated by unprecedented bushfire |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-18/gondwana-era-nightcap-oak-devastated-by-bushfire/11877770 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118025250/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-18/gondwana-era-nightcap-oak-devastated-by-bushfire/11877770 |archive-date=18 January 2020 |access-date=2020-01-18 |website=ABC News |language=en-AU}}{{Cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Lisa |last2=Evershed |first2=Nick |date=2020-01-16 |title='It's heart-wrenching': 80% of Blue Mountains and 50% of Gondwana rainforests burn in bushfires |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/17/its-heart-wrenching-80-of-blue-mountains-and-50-of-gondwana-rainforests-burn-in-bushfires |url-status=live |access-date=2020-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118234106/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/17/its-heart-wrenching-80-of-blue-mountains-and-50-of-gondwana-rainforests-burn-in-bushfires |archive-date=18 January 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}

Moreover, the fires caused widespread phytoplankton blooms by causing oceanic deposition of wildfire aerosols, enhancing marine productivity.{{cite news |title=Australian fires in 2019–2020 had even more global reach than previously thought |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/australia-wildfires-climate-change-carbon-dioxide-ocean-algae |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=Science News |date=15 September 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Weiyi |last2=Llort |first2=Joan |last3=Weis |first3=Jakob |last4=Perron |first4=Morgane M. G. |last5=Basart |first5=Sara |last6=Li |first6=Zuchuan |last7=Sathyendranath |first7=Shubha |last8=Jackson |first8=Thomas |last9=Sanz Rodriguez |first9=Estrella |last10=Proemse |first10=Bernadette C. |last11=Bowie |first11=Andrew R. |last12=Schallenberg |first12=Christina |last13=Strutton |first13=Peter G. |last14=Matear |first14=Richard |last15=Cassar |first15=Nicolas |title=Widespread phytoplankton blooms triggered by 2019–2020 Australian wildfires |journal=Nature |date=September 2021 |volume=597 |issue=7876 |pages=370–375 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03805-8 |pmid=34526706 |bibcode=2021Natur.597..370T |hdl=2117/351768 |s2cid=237536378 |language=en |issn=1476-4687 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354614634|hdl-access=free }} While these increased oceanic carbon dioxide uptake, the amount – estimated to be slightly more than 152±83.5 million tons – did not counterbalance the ~715 million tons of CO₂ the fires emitted.

Fire damaged 500-year-old rock art at Anaiwan in northern New South Wales, with the intense and rapid temperature change of the fires cracking the granite rock. This caused panels of art to fracture and fall off the huge boulders that contain the galleries of art.{{cite news |last1=Allam |first1=Lorena |title=Grave fears held for thousands of rock art sites after bushfires lay bare irrevocable damage |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/feb/02/grave-fears-held-for-thousands-of-rock-art-sites-after-bushfires-lay-bare-irrevocable-damage |work=The Guardian |date=1 February 2020}}

At the Budj Bim heritage areas in Victoria the Gunditjmara people reported that when they inspected the site after fires moved across it, they found ancient channels and ponds that were newly visible after the fires burned much of the vegetation off the landscape.{{cite news |author=Eric Cheung |title=Ancient aquatic system revealed by bushfires.|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/21/asia/budj-bim-australia-bushfire-intl-hnk-scli/index.html |publisher=CNN }}{{cite news |last1=Machemer |first1=Theresa |title=Australian Bushfires Reveal Hidden Sections of Ancient Aquaculture System |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australian-bushfires-uncover-hidden-sections-ancient-aquaculture-system-180974028/ |work=Smithsonian Magazine}}

After fire burnt out a creek on a property at Cobargo, NSW, on New Year's Eve, a boomerang carved by stone artefact was found.{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Alasdair |title='This is special': Stone boomerang found in fire-ravaged Cobargo creek |url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6618509/this-is-special-stone-boomerang-found-in-fire-ravaged-cobargo-creek/?src=rss |work=Illawarra Mercury |date=6 February 2020}}

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is the lead agency for bush fires in New South Wales and formed the bulk of the primary response to the fires, mobilising thousands of firefighters and several hundred firefighting vehicles. They were heavily supported by Fire & Rescue New South Wales, as well as the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and the Forestry Corporation of NSW, who hold jurisdiction over national parks and forests across the state respectively. Additional local firefighting resources were also used from agencies such as Air Services Australia and Sydney Trains.

Numerous interstate agencies deployed firefighting resources into New South Wales, including several hundred firefighters from the Victorian Country Fire Authority,{{cite web |url=https://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/-/cfa-send-over-300-personnel-to-nsw-bushfires |title=CFA sends over 300 personnel to NSW bushfires |date=11 November 2019 |website=CFA News and Media |access-date=1 January 2020 |archive-date=17 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117153921/https://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/-/cfa-send-over-300-personnel-to-nsw-bushfires |url-status=dead}} along with crews from the Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade,{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEICjIUKHPzJnTBOFYpYJ0p4qFwgEKg8IACoHCAow_cXTBDDc9n4whOUH |title=Victorian fire crews deployed to NSW frontline |access-date=1 January 2020}} the South Australian Country Fire Service,{{cite web |url=https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/home/criimson/sa_to_send_more_help_to_nsw_issued_08_nov_17210003130.jsp |title=SA to send more help to NSW Issued 08 Nov 17:21 :: CFS |website=cfs.sa.gov.au |access-date=1 January 2020}} the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, the South Australian Department of Environment and Water, and the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.{{cite web |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/time-to-repay-the-favour-as-queensland-sends-firefighters-south-20200103-p53ojt.html |title=Time to 'repay the favour' as Queensland sends firefighters south |last=Stone |first=Lucy |date=3 January 2020 |website=Brisbane Times |access-date=3 January 2020}}

Despite the substantial loss of property and loss of life, firefighters as of January 2020 managed to save over 16,000 structures from direct fire impact in addition to countless lives.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/nswrfs/photos/a.10150499693320552/10157568399175552/?type=3 |title=NSW Rural Fire Service |website=facebook.com |access-date=1 January 2020}}{{Primary source inline|date=May 2020}}

Multiple other New South Wales emergency services assisted in the response, including NSW Ambulance that provided ongoing pre-hospital care to victims of the fires including firefighters, NSW Police that worked to ensure public safety was maintained through road closures and evacuations and the NSW State Emergency Service that assisted with logistical support. With brush-tailed rock-wallabies and much of the indigenous wildlife population in parts of New South Wales were left without food or water, the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service airdropped approximately {{convert|4000|lb|kg|order=flip}} vegetables on the known habitats.{{Cite news |author=Chayes Wida, Erica |url=https://www.today.com/food/australian-government-airdrops-food-animals-amid-fires-t171683 |title=Australian government airdrops more than 4K pounds of food to hungry animals |website=TODAY.com |location=United States |date=14 January 2020 |access-date=14 January 2020}} A joint operation by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and NSW Rural Fire Service was mounted to protect the critically endangered Wollemia pines growing in Wollemi National Park. Fire retardant was dropped from air tankers, and an irrigation system was installed on the ground by specialist firefighters, who were lowered into the area by winches from helicopters.{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/wollemi-pines-known-as-dinosaur-trees-saved-from-nsw-bushfires-thanks-to-a-secret-firefighting-mission/news-story |title=Wollemi pines known as 'dinosaur trees' saved from NSW bushfires thanks to a secret firefighting mission |work=news.com.au |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815021213/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/wollemi-pines-known-as-dinosaur-trees-saved-from-nsw-bushfires-thanks-to-a-secret-firefighting-mission/news-story |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/16/796994699/aussie-firefighters-save-worlds-only-groves-of-prehistoric-wollemi-pines |title=Aussie Firefighters Save World's Only Groves Of Prehistoric Wollemi Pines |publisher=NPR |location=United States |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020}}

On 24 December 2019, the Morrison government announced that volunteer firefighters employed in the Commonwealth public service would be offered at least 20 working days paid leave.{{cite press release |author1=Prime Minister |title=Boosting Leave For APS Volunteer Firefighters |url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/boosting-leave-aps-volunteer-firefighters |website=Prime Minister of Australia |access-date=5 January 2020 |date=24 December 2019 |archive-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112232229/https://www.pm.gov.au/media/boosting-leave-aps-volunteer-firefighters |url-status=dead }} On 29 December 2019, it announced that volunteer firefighters who have been called out for more than 10 days would be able to receive financial compensation.{{cite press release |author1=Prime Minister |title=New Payments To Support NSW Volunteer Firefighters |url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/new-payments-support-nsw-volunteer-firefighters |website=Prime Minister of Australia |access-date=5 January 2020 |date=29 December 2019 |archive-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112232156/https://www.pm.gov.au/media/new-payments-support-nsw-volunteer-firefighters |url-status=dead }} On 4 January 2020, it announced that it would lease four waterbombing planes including two long-range DC-10s and two medium-range for use by state and territory governments.

On 5 January 2020, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, funded initially with {{AUD}}2 billion, under the control of former Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Andrew Colvin.{{cite news |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bushfire-recovery-agency-established-as-scott-morrison-brushes-off-criticism |title=Bushfire recovery agency established as Scott Morrison brushes off criticism |work=SBS News |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-06/scott-morrison-bushfire-recovery-bill/11844096 |title=Bushfire recovery costs start at $2 billion but Government assistance can't pay the bills |author1=Beech, Alexandra |author2=Dalzell, Stephanie |author3=Snape, Jack |work=ABC News Online |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020}}

On 5 December 2019, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) commenced Operation Bushfire Assist to support state fire services in logistics, planning, capability, and operational support. Activities the ADF has undertaken as part of the Operation have included Air Force aircraft transporting firefighters and their equipment interstate, Army and Navy helicopters transporting firefighters, conducting night fire mapping, impact assessments and search and rescue flights, use of various defence facilities as coordination and information centres and for catering and accommodation for firefighters, liaison between state and federal government services, reloading and refuelling for waterbombing aircraft, deployment of personnel to assess fire damage and severity, and provision of humanitarian supplies.

On 31 December 2019, the Defence Minister announced the ADF would provide assistance to East Gippsland, in particular the isolated high-fire-risk town of Mallacoota, deploying helicopters including a CH-47 Chinook and C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft to be based at RAAF Base East Sale and two naval vessels, {{HMAS|Choules}} and {{MV|Sycamore}}, with the vessels also able to assist in south-east New South Wales if required.{{cite web |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/adf-to-support-fire-response/47a51f6c-4d76-468c-b607-73d79b3e78a7 |title=Defence force to support fire response with military assistance |website=9news.com.au |date=31 December 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020}}{{Cite tweet |user=lindareynoldswa |author=Reynolds, Linda |author-link=Linda Reynolds |number=1211893717990133761 |date=30 December 2019 |title=Authorised ADF to deploy extra assets to the Victorian fires}} On 1 January 2020, the ADF deployed additional military staff establishing the Victorian Joint Task Force 646 (Army Reserve 4th Brigade) and the following day the New South Wales Joint Task Force 1110 (Army Reserve 5th Brigade). On 3 January 2020, HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore evacuated civilians from Mallacoota bound for Westernport.

On 4 January 2020, following a meeting of the National Security Committee, the Morrison government announced a compulsory call-out of Army Reserve brigades to deploy up to 3,000 reserve personnel full-time to assist with in the Operation. Additionally, Defence announced that it would deploy HMAS Adelaide to support other Navy ships in evacuations and relief, as well additional Chinook helicopters and military transport aircraft to RAAF Base East Sale.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/world/australia/fires-military.html |title='It's an Atomic Bomb': Australia Deploys Military as Fires Spread |last=Albeck-Ripka |first=Livia |date=4 January 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite press release |author1=Morrison, Scott |author-link1=Scott Morrison |author2=Littleproud, David |author-link2=David Littleproud |url=https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lreynolds/media-releases/bushfire-relief-and-recovery |title=Bushfire relief and recovery |date=4 January 2020 |website=Department of Defence Ministers |publisher=Department of Defence |access-date=4 January 2020}} The same day, Chinook helicopters evacuated civilians from Omeo; and Spartan aircraft evacuated civilians from Mallacoota on 5 January.

The response of volunteer organisations and charities was also considerable, with WIRES Wildlife Rescue working to rescue and treat injured wildlife,{{cite web |url=https://www.wires.org.au/blog/nsw-fire-catastrophe |title=NSW Fire Catastrophe |website=wires.org.au |access-date=1 January 2020}} Rapid Relief Team Australia raising money for victims, providing meals for firefighters and assisting with two bulk water tankers,{{cite web |url=https://www.rapidreliefteam.org/ |title=Rapid Relief Team |website=Rapid Relief Team |access-date=1 January 2020}} Team Rubicon Australia providing debris removal and helping with the cleanup of fire affected areas,{{cite web |url=https://www.teamrubiconaus.org/field-ops/operation-bugden/ |title=Operation Bugden {{!}} Team Rubicon Australia |website=www.teamrubiconaus.org |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/northcoast/programs/breakfast/team-rubicon-veterans-mental-health-bushfire-recovery/11681410 |title=Team Rubicon deployed to Busby Fire Flat bushfire victims |date=8 November 2019 |website=ABC Radio |access-date=2 January 2020}} the Animal Welfare League fundraising and assisting injured animals,{{cite web |url=https://www.awlnsw.com.au/bushfire-appeal/ |title=Bushfire Appeal |date=18 November 2019 |website=Animal Welfare League NSW |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{Citation |title=ABC News speaks to Animal Welfare League NSW CEO Mark Slater |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaRljx2ehT4 |access-date=2 January 2020}} and St John Ambulance Australia and Australian Red Cross providing support at evacuation centres across New South Wales.

On 1 December 2019 WWF-Australia launched the "Towards Two Billion Trees" plan to aid the koala bushfire recovery. It aims to stop excessive tree-clearing, protect the existing trees and forests, and restore native habitat that has been lost. The ten-point plan for the next ten years foresees to grow 1.56 billion new trees and save 780 million trees.{{Cite web |url=https://www.wwf.org.au/news/news/2019/wwf-s-towards-two-billion-trees-plan-to-aid-koala-bushfire-recovery |title=WWF's "Towards Two Billion Trees" plan to aid koala bushfire recovery |website=WWF-Australia}}{{self-published inline|date=January 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/2-billion-trees/2-billiontrees |title=Towards Two Billion Trees |website=WWF-Australia}}{{self-published inline|date=January 2020}}

On 4 January 2020 Architects Assist was established, representing over 600 Australian architecture firms providing their services pro bono to the individuals and communities affected by the bushfires (together with approximately 1500 architecture student volunteers).{{Cite web |url=https://www.australiandesignreview.com/architecture/architects-assist-offers-pro-bono-design-services-to-aussies-impacted-by-bushfire-crisis/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126002736/https://www.australiandesignreview.com/architecture/architects-assist-offers-pro-bono-design-services-to-aussies-impacted-by-bushfire-crisis/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 January 2020 |title=Architects Assist offers pro-bono bushfire services |date=8 January 2020 |website=Australian Design Review |access-date=26 January 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2020/01/07/australian-architects-assist-bushfire-crisis-news/ |title=Australian architects offer free design services to bushfire victims |date=7 January 2020 |website=Dezeen |access-date=26 January 2020}}{{Cite web |url=http://architectsassist.com.au/about/ |title=About AA |work=Architects Assist |access-date=26 January 2020}}

Political figures from outside Australia including Donald Trump,{{cite news |url=https://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/donald-trump-sends-some-love-australia-during-bushfire-crisis |title=DONALD TRUMP SENDS SOME "LOVE" TO AUSTRALIA DURING BUSHFIRE CRISIS |work=FiveAA |location=Adelaide |date=8 January 2020 |access-date=26 January 2020}} Cory Booker,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/04/from-tina-arena-to-elizabeth-warren-the-big-names-weighing-in-on-australias-bushfire-crisis |title=From Tina Arena to Elizabeth Warren: the big names weighing in on Australia's bushfire crisis |author=Doherty, Ben |work=Guardian Australia |date=4 January 2020}} Hillary Clinton,{{cite news |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/from-bernie-sanders-to-bette-midler-the-world-reacts-to-the-bushfires |title=From Bernie Sanders to Bette Midler: The world reacts to the bushfires |work=SBS News |date=4 January 2020}} Al Gore, Bernie Sanders, Greta Thunberg,{{cite twitter |date=22 December 2019 |user=GretaThunberg |number=1208682929855041538 |first=Greta |last=Thunberg |author-link=Greta Thunberg |title=Not even catastrophes like these seem to bring any political action. How is this possible? |access-date=24 December 2019 |publisher=Twitter}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/greta-thunberg-weighs-in-on-australias-fire-catastrophe/news-story/da3128050c064d979e388e5540cec61e |title=Greta Thunberg weighs in on Australia's fire 'catastrophe' |last=Wolfe |first=Natalie |date=23 December 2019 |work=news.com.au |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225123318/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/greta-thunberg-weighs-in-on-australias-fire-catastrophe/news-story/da3128050c064d979e388e5540cec61e |archive-date=25 December 2019 |url-status=live}} and Elizabeth Warren all publicly commented about the fires. People in the entertainment industry such as Tina Arena, Patricia Arquette,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/06/russell-crowe-and-cate-blanchett-use-golden-globes-speeches-to-link-australian-fires-to-climate-crisis |title=Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett use Golden Globes speeches to link Australian fires to climate crisis |work=The Guardian |date=6 January 2020}} Cody Rhodes, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe,{{cite news |author=Harris, Rob |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-says-bushfire-ravaged-communities-the-priority-as-celebrities-pile-on-20200106-p53par.html |title=Morrison says bushfire-ravaged communities the priority as celebrities pile on |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 January 2020}} Ellen DeGeneres,{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/my-heart-goes-out-to-everyone-suffering-in-australia-ellen/video/199ecd2a54fe15b9db6f5b85a55c726e |title='My heart goes out to everyone suffering in Australia': Ellen |work=news.com.au |date=6 January 2020}} Selena Gomez, Halsey, Nicole Kidman, Lizzo,{{cite news |title=Celebrities react to Australia's bushfires |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/celebrities-react-australias-bushfires-004013075--spt.html |access-date=7 January 2020 |publisher=Yahoo! News |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=6 January 2020 |archive-date=7 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107133934/https://au.news.yahoo.com/celebrities-react-australias-bushfires-004013075--spt.html |url-status=dead}} Bette Midler, Pink, Margot Robbie, Paul Stanley, Jay Park,{{Cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2020/01/07/jay-park-donates-30k-australian-bushfire-effort |title=Jay Park donates $30k to Australian bushfire effort |date=7 January 2020 |publisher=SBS}} Jonathan Van Ness, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Rosé{{Cite web |date=2020-01-10 |title=Wildfires: BLACKPINK's Rose asks for help for home country Australia |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/04/732_281711.html |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=koreatimes |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B7FuVs2Bpil/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.instagram.com}} also made statements about the fires. Some of the aforementioned people have also donated or raised funds.

On 4 January 2020, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh sent a message of condolence to Governor-General David Hurley, sending their "thoughts and prayers to all Australians at this difficult time". The Queen indicated in her message that she was "deeply saddened" to hear of the fires and their devastating impact on the country, and expressed her thanks to emergency service workers.{{cite news |title=Queen 'deeply saddened' by Australia's ongoing bushfire crisis |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/queen-deeply-saddened-by-australia-s-ongoing-bushfire-crisis |access-date=8 January 2020 |work=SBS News |location=Australia |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=5 January 2020}} On 8 January 2020, Prince Charles issued a video message expressing his despair at the "appalling horror" of the fires.{{cite news |last1=Coy |first1=Bronte |title='Appalling horror': Prince Charles' emotional video message |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/appalling-horror-prince-charles-emotional-video-message/news-story/17091b709ff0e0c3c6624e84d756de5b |access-date=8 January 2020 |work=news.com.au |date=8 January 2020}} The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also issued messages to Australia, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who is of Australian heritage, published an open letter where she and her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, expressed their condolences to the victims and respect for the firefighters.{{cite news |author=Moustafa, A. |date=5 January 2020 |title=Princess Mary of Denmark sends Australia message of support amid bushfire crisis |url=https://7news.com.au/entertainment/royals/princess-mary-of-denmark-sends-australia-message-of-support-amid-bushfire-crisis-c-634258 |work=Seven News |access-date=9 January 2020}}

;Canada

Four deployments totalling 87 Canadian firefighters were sent through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.{{cite news |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6330759/australia-wildfires-photos/ |title=A look at the Australian wildfires Canadian firefighters are helping to battle |first=Maham |last=Abedi |work=Global News |location=Canada |date=23 December 2019 |access-date=26 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225233817/https://globalnews.ca/news/6330759/australia-wildfires-photos/ |archive-date=25 December 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/01/01/u-s-and-canada-send-additional-firefighters-to-australia/ |title=U.S. and Canada send additional firefighters to Australia |work=Wildfire Today |first=Bill |last=Gabbert |date=1 January 2020 |access-date=4 January 2020}} It was the first time since 2009 that Canadian personnel were deployed to Australia.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfire-firefighters-australia-1.5409431 |access-date=4 January 2020 |title=More B.C. firefighters head to Australia as wildfires continue to burn |publisher=CBC News |location=Canada |date=28 December 2019}} The Canadian government also sent a CC-17 plane of the Royal Canadian Air Force with 15 personnel on 27 January to further aid with transport and provide airlift support.{{Cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6463029/canadian-forces-australia-bushfires/ |title=Canadian Forces plane, crew heading to Australia to fight bushfires |website=Global News |access-date=27 January 2020}}

;Fiji

The government of Fiji deployed the Fiji Military Forces humanitarian assistance and disaster relief platoon and engineers to assist in the bush fire rehabilitation.{{cite news |url=https://fijisun.com.fj/2020/01/15/rfmf-humanitarian-assistance-and-disaster-releif-hadr-deployment-to-australia/ |title=RFMF Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Deployment To Australia |work=FijiSun Online |date=15 January 2020 |access-date=15 January 2020}}

;France

On 6 January, French President Emmanuel Macron stated he could help out with the bushfires.{{cite news |author=Kar-Gupta, Sudip |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-bushfires-france/president-macron-offers-french-aid-to-australia-over-bushfires-idUSKBN1Z40Q7 |title=President Macron offers French aid to Australia over bushfires |work=Reuters |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=8 January 2020}} A team of five French firefighting experts arrived in Australia on 9 January to determine possible options for French and European support.{{cite news |date=10 January 2020 |title=5 French experts in Australia to provide assistance in the bushfires crisis |url=https://au.ambafrance.org/5-French-experts-in-Australia-to-provide-assistance-in-the-bushfires-crisis |publisher=Embassy of France in Canberra |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613124200/https://au.ambafrance.org/5-French-experts-in-Australia-to-provide-assistance-in-the-bushfires-crisis |url-status=dead}}

;Indonesia

On 1 February, (Satuan Setingkat Peloton) SST Zeni, an Army engineering platoon unit, would be dispatched to Australia. A total of 38 personnel, consist of 26 army engineers, 6 Korps Marinir personnel, 4 Air Force facility construction personnel, and 2 TNI Medical Department personnel. The team landed in RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales on the same day, according to the Indonesian Embassy on 3 February 2020, the troops will be deployed on the Blue Mountains area.{{Cite web |url=https://www.wartaekonomi.co.id/read269958/tni-kerahkan-personelnya-ke-australia-untuk-bantu-atasi-kebakaran-hutan |title=TNI kerahkan personel ke Australia untuk bantu atasi kebakaran hutan.|work=Warta Ekonomi }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/05/indonesia-s-support-bushfire-fight-appreciated-oz-ministers.html |title=Indonesia's support for bushfire fight appreciated: Oz ministers |website=The Jakarta Post |access-date=6 February 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/01/30/tni-to-aid-australia-in-fighting-bushfires.html |title=TNI to aid Australia in fighting bushfires |website=The Jakarta Post |access-date=6 February 2020}}

;Japan

On 15 January, the Japanese government sent two C-130 aircraft of the JASDF, along with 70 other Self-Defense Force personnel to assist in transport and other efforts in combating the bushfires.{{cite news |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/15/national/japan-sdf-planes-australia-fires/ |title=Japan sends two Self-Defense Forces planes and personnel to help fight Australia fires |newspaper=Japan Times |date=15 January 2020 |access-date=16 January 2020}} The aircraft left Komaki Air Base and flew to RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales the next day.

;Malaysia

On 5 January, Malaysia offered its assistance through a statement by Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/01/05/wan-azizah-malaysia-ready-to-assist-australia-in-fighting-bushfires |title=Wan Azizah: Malaysia ready to assist Australia in fighting bushfires |newspaper=The Star Online |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020}} On 13 January, Malaysia officially deployed over forty firefighters to assist with the bushfires. Twenty others from government agencies would also be involved with the mission.{{cite news |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/01/556109/malaysian-firemen-leave-australia-help-fight-bushfires |title=Malaysian firemen to leave for Australia to help fight bushfires |first=Muhammad Zulsyamini |last=Sufian Suri |work=New Straits Times |date=13 January 2020 |access-date=14 January 2020}}

;New Zealand

Over fifty New Zealanders were deployed to Australia in both direct fire fighting and support roles.{{cite news |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/11/australia-fires-more-new-zealand-firefighters-on-their-way-to-help-battle-blazes.html |title=Australia fires: More New Zealand firefighters on their way to help battle blazes |date=15 November 2019 |first=James |last=Fyfe |work=Newshub |access-date=26 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225233818/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/11/australia-fires-more-new-zealand-firefighters-on-their-way-to-help-battle-blazes.html |archive-date=25 December 2019 |url-status=dead}} In January 2020, New Zealand also deployed elements of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and New Zealand Army including three NH90 helicopters, two Army combat engineer sections, and a command element.{{cite web |last1=Mark |first1=Ron |title=New Zealand Defence Force sends support to Australia |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-zealand-defence-force-sends-support-australia |website=Beehive.govt.nz |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=10 January 2020}} A specialist six person animal disaster response team were deployed by non-profit Animal Evac New Zealand{{Cite news |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/06/new-kiwi-charity-to-ensure-no-animals-left-behind-in-natural-disasters.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617113316/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/06/new-kiwi-charity-to-ensure-no-animals-left-behind-in-natural-disasters.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 June 2018 |title=New Kiwi charity to ensure no animals left behind in natural disasters |work=Newshub |access-date=18 January 2020}} on 8 January to New South Wales,{{Cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/118733022/kiwi-charity-focused-on-saving-animals-from-australias-bush-fires |title=Kiwi charity focused on saving animals from Australia's bush fires |website=Stuff |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020}} assisting with wildlife rescue and supported by SAFE.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/231312-nz-animal-charities-combine-to-assist-australia.html |title=SunLive – NZ animal charities combine to assist Australia – The Bay's News First |website=sunlive.co.nz |date=9 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020}} The team was the first international specialist animal rescuers to arrive{{Cite web |url=https://www.beagleweekly.com.au/post/animal-evac-new-zealand-has-deployed-volunteers-to-support-animals-in-the-region |title=Animal Evac New Zealand has deployed volunteers to support animals in the region |website=The Beagle |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020 |location=Eurobodalla Shire}} and included vets, animal management officers as well as animal disaster and technical animal rescue experts. A second team of four arrived on 13 January.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12299741 |title=Kiwi volunteers jump the ditch to help fire-affected Australian animals |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020 |agency=Radio New Zealand}} The teams partnered with local wildlife centres{{Cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/mogo-kangaroo-sanctuary-owner-reunites-with-her-animals-after-bushfire-crisis-c-647356 |title=Return to the wasteland: Kangaroo sanctuary owner's emotional reunion with survivors after bushfire hell |date=14 January 2020 |website=7news.com.au |access-date=18 January 2020}} to successfully rescue and relocate several injured animals.{{Cite news |author1=Fyfe, James |author2=Lewis, Lydia |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2020/01/australia-bushfires-heart-wrenching-video-shows-wallaby-recovering-from-injuries.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613093920/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2020/01/australia-bushfires-heart-wrenching-video-shows-wallaby-recovering-from-injuries.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2020 |title=Australia bushfires: Heart-wrenching video shows wallaby recovering from injuries |work=Newshub |access-date=18 January 2020 |location=New Zealand}}{{cite AV media |date=12 January 2020 |title=Echidna Rescued from Australia Fires by Animal Evac NZ |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNDNTBGNxVQ |access-date=18 January 2020 |format=Streaming video |via=YouTube}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/badly-injured-kangaroo-spotted-in-charred-remains-nsw-forest-dies |title=Badly-injured kangaroo spotted in charred remains of NSW forest dies |work=TVNZ |date=18 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020 |location=New Zealand}} as well as advising residents in fire danger zones on their animal evacuation plans.{{Cite web |author=Dangerfield, Emma |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/118733022/kiwi-charity-focused-on-saving-animals-from-australias-bush-fires.html |title=Kiwi charity focused on saving animals from Australia's bush fires |date=12 January 2020 |website=Stuff |location=New Zealand |access-date=18 January 2020}}

;Papua New Guinea

The Government of Papua New Guinea offered to send 1,000 military and other personnel to Australia to assist with the response to the bushfires.{{cite news |last1=Ewart |first1=Richard |last2=Handley |first2=Erin |title=Pacific nations Vanuatu and PNG pledge aid for Australia's bushfires |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-06/pacific-nations-pledge-aid-for-australias-bushfires/11844008?section=politics |access-date=12 January 2020 |work=Pacific Beat |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=6 January 2020}} Australia accepted 100 Papua New Guinea Defence Force personnel.{{cite news |title=Australia fires: PNG to send 100 soldiers |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/407028/australia-fires-png-to-send-100-soldiers |access-date=12 January 2020 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=10 January 2020}}

;The Philippines

The Philippine Red Cross pledged to donate $100K to Australia,{{cite news |author=Aguilar, Krissy |url=https://globalnation.inquirer.net/183037/philippine-red-cross-to-donate-100k-for-australia-bush-fires |title=Philippine Red Cross to donate $100K for Australia bushfires |date=10 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020 |work=The Inquirer |location=The Philippines}} while various Filipino personalities pledged support for the victims of the bush fires.{{cite news |author1=Madarang, S. |author2=Ricci, Catalina |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/trends-spotlights/2020/01/07/159874/australia-bushfire-filipinos-celebrities-awareness/ |title=300 Filipinos affected in Australia bushfire; Local celebrities raising awareness |work=Interaksyon |location=The Philippines |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020}} The women-led Teduray people of Maguindanao initiated a sacred rain-making ritual for Australian victims, calling on the fire goddess Frayag Sarif's intercession to bring rain to the country.{{cite news |author=Cabrara, Ferdinand |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/721177/maguindanao-tribal-group-prays-to-goddess-of-fire-to-end-australia-bushfires/story/ |title=Maguindanao tribal group prays to goddess of fire to end Australia bushfires |work=GMA News Online |location=The Philippines |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020}}

;Singapore

Singapore deployed two Chinook helicopters and 42 Singapore Armed Forces personnel stationed at Oakey Army Aviation Centre to RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria.{{cite news |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/singapore-to-deploy-two-chinook-helicopters-to-help-aussie-bush-fire-recovery |title=Singapore deploys two Chinook helicopters to help Aussie bush fire recovery efforts |last=Pearlman |first=Jonathann |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020}}

South Korea

South Korean satellites were utilized to provide data and imaging at the request of the Australia Government. South Korea also pledged $1,000,000 in aid through the Red Cross.[https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=150947]

;United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates sent 200 volunteers from the Emirates Red Crescent to help fight the fire, including Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi.{{Cite web |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/abu-dhabi/uae-to-send-200-volunteers-to-help-fight-australian-bushfires |title=UAE to send 200 volunteers to help fight Australian bushfires |first=Sarwat |last=Nasir |website=Khaleej Times |date=9 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020 |location=Abu Dhabi}}{{cite news |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/emirati-astronaut-reaches-out-to-australia-1.68944844 |title=Emirati astronaut reaches out to Australia |work=Gulf News |location=UAE |date=11 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020}} A Twitter campaign and hashtag #mateshelpmates was launched by the Dubai Expo 2020 aiming to raise donations to help those affected by the fires in Australia.{{cite news |url=https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/uae-to-raise-funds-for-wildfire-hit-australia-because-mates-help-mates-says-minister-1.962201 |title=UAE to raise funds for wildfire-hit Australia because 'mates help mates' says minister |work=The National |location=UAE |date=9 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020}} To increase awareness, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest tower, lit up in solidarity with Australia.{{cite news |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/uae-worlds-tallest-tower-lights-up-for-fire-stricken-australia-1.1579109042609 |title=UAE: World's tallest tower lights up for fire-stricken Australia |work=Gulf News |location=UAE |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=15 January 2020 |access-date=17 January 2020}}

;United States

File:Brian_Stearns_saved_"Joey"_in_the_bushfire.png employee, on secondment to Australia, holds a kangaroo joey.]]

The United States deployed 362 firefighters, including 222 from the United States Department of the Interior, to Australia to help combat the fires. Firefighters from other parts of the US also helped with the fires.,{{Cite web |title=Barrasso Honors the US-Australia Firefighting Alliance – News Releases – United States Senator John Barrasso |url=https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=F6C2A957-6157-43A3-BA9B-C5B659A1E1B2 |access-date=2020-08-05 |website=United States Senator John Barrasso}}{{cite news |title=US sends veteran firefighters to battle Australia wildfires |url=https://apnews.com/33231a11c25129c1f312889ad1d2e9ae |access-date=7 January 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=4 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-smells-like-it-s-time-to-go-to-work-american-firefighters-arrive-in-sydney-20191208-p53hxt.html |title='Smells like it's time to go to work': American firefighters arrive in Sydney |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |first=Jenny |last=Noyes |date=8 December 2019 |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225233817/https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-smells-like-it-s-time-to-go-to-work-american-firefighters-arrive-in-sydney-20191208-p53hxt.html |archive-date=25 December 2019 |url-status=live}} On 23 January, three US firefighters died in the crash of a C-130 fire fighting aircraft, north east of Cooma in New South Wales.{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/three-us-fireys-killed-in-tanker-crash/news-story/d6c220bc87ca96f105db45e277736f7f |title=Three US fireys killed in tanker crash |first=Steven |last=Trask |agency=Australian Associated Press |website=news.com.au |date=23 January 2020}}

;Other countries

Several other countries have offered assistance:

• On 7 January, Denmark offered 50 firefighters via the Danish Emergency Management Agency that were on a standby and could move on a short notice, but it was deemed unnecessary by the Australian Government, which at that point said that they had sufficient material, manpower and organisation to deal with the remaining fires.{{cite news |author=Ingvorsen, E. S. |date=9 January 2020 |title=Australien brænder, men siger nej tak til danske brandmænd |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/australien-braender-men-siger-nej-tak-til-danske-brandmaend |publisher=DR News |language=da |access-date=9 January 2020}}
• On 6 January 2020, the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs responded to the Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) and prepared 70 firefighters{{cite web |url=https://observator.tv/eveniment/pompieri-romani-australia-335090.html |title=Cine sunt pompierii români pregătiţi pentru lupta cu incendiile devastatoare din Australia |format=Streaming video |newspaper=observator.tv |date=7 January 2020 |language=ro}} to be deployed in Australia through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Union.{{cite news |url=https://www.mai.gov.ro/ministerul-afacerilor-interne-raspunde-apelului-lansat-la-nivel-european-si-are-forte-pregatite-pentru-a-fi-trimise-in-australia/ |title=Ministerul Afacerilor Interne răspunde apelului lansat la nivel european și are forțe pregătite pentru a fi trimise în Australia |newspaper=mai.gov.ro |date=6 January 2020 |language=ro}} Australia rejected this, as well as the EU call for more bushfire help.{{cite news |url=https://www.national.ro/news/pompierii-romani-flituiti-de-incendiata-australie-nu-avem-nevoie-de-ajutor-676782.html/ |title=Pompierii români, flituiți de incendiata Australie: Nu avem nevoie de ajutor |newspaper=national.ro |date=8 January 2020 |language=ro}}{{cite news |url=http://www.palpress.net/?View=News&id=4679&dep=3 |title=Australia rejected an offer by the European Union to help it against fires |newspaper=palpress.net |date=14 January 2020}}
• Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu tweeted that Turkey is ready to provide all required assistance, while Turkey's Melbourne consulate donated $14,500 to Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.{{cite web |last1=Kara Aydin |first1=Havva |title=Turkey stands with Australia with bushfires raging |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-stands-with-australia-with-bushfires-raging/1695387 |publisher=Anatolian Agency |access-date=8 January 2020}}{{cite web |title=Avustralya'daki Türklerden yangın mağdurlarına yardım |url=https://www.trthaber.com/haber/dunya/avustralyadaki-turklerden-yangin-magdurlarina-yardim-447208.html |website=TRT Haber |date=17 December 2019 |access-date=8 January 2020 |language=tr}}
• The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine notified Australia that the Ukrainian government is ready to send 200 seasoned firefighters to help fight the fires. Ukraine's Foreign Minister also noted that "The fires in Australia have not left the Ukrainians indifferent."{{cite web |title=Ukraine offers Australia help to combat wildfires, ready to send 200 seasoned firefighters |url=https://www.unian.info/society/10820981-ukraine-offers-australia-help-to-combat-wildfires-ready-to-send-200-seasoned-firefighters.html |agency=Ukrainian Independent Information Agency |publisher=UNIAN Ukrainian News Agency}}
• Some Pacific nations have also stated that they could send some aid.{{cite news |author=Bonyhady, Nick |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/call-for-help-international-response-to-australian-fires-20200106-p53p5r.html |title='Call for help': International response to Australian fires |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=8 January 2020}}

Australia is one of the most fire-prone countries on earth, and bushfires form part of the natural cycle of its landscapes. However, factors such as climate trends, weather patterns and vegetation management by humans can all contribute to the intensity of bushfire seasons, and the most destructive fires in Australian history have usually been preceded by extreme high temperatures, low relative humidity and strong winds, which combine to create ideal conditions for the rapid spread of fire.

Scientific experts and land management agencies agree that severely below average fuel moisture attributed to record-breaking temperatures and drought, accompanied by severe fire weather, are the primary causes of the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, and that these are likely to have been exacerbated by long-term trends of warmer and drier weather observed over the Australian land mass.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/05/explainer-how-effective-is-bushfire-hazard-reduction-on-australias-fires |title=Explainer: how effective is bushfire hazard reduction on Australia's fires? |work=Guardian Australia |date=5 January 2020 |last1=Readfern |first1=Graham}}{{cite news |last=Gergis |first=Joëlle |date=2 January 2020 |title=We are seeing the very worst of our scientific predictions come to pass in these bushfires |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/03/we-are-seeing-the-very-worst-of-our-scientific-predictions-come-to-pass-in-these-bushfires |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=12 January 2020}}{{cite web |author1=Nguyen, Kevin |author2=Brunero, Tim |author-link2=Tim Brunero |author3=Thomas, Sarah |author4=Keane, Daniel |author5=Mills, Nicole |title=The truth about Australia's fires – arsonists aren't responsible for many this season |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/australias-fires-reveal-arson-not-a-major-cause/11855022 |date=11 January 2020 |access-date=14 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia}} Nonetheless, the political nature of many of the crisis and its associated issues has also resulted in the circulation of large amounts of disinformation regarding the causes of the fire activity, to the neglect of credible scientific research, expert opinion, and previous government inquiries.

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| image1 = 2019-12 2019-11 BOM tmax a036.png

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| caption1 = Maximum temperature deciles, January to November 2019

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| caption2 = Rainfall deciles, January to November 2019

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| caption3 = FFDI (Forest Fire Danger Index), Spring 2019

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| caption4 = Distribution of Australian Forests 2016

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Lightning was the major cause of ignition of fires during the 2019–20 fire crisis in NSW and Victoria. The official NSW Bushfires Inquiry (with advice from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service) concluded "Lightning, often in remote areas, started most of the bush fires that became very large, damaging and hard to suppress."{{Cite web |date=31 July 2020 |title=Final-Report-of-the-NSW-Bushfire-Inquiry |url=https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/noindex/2023-06/Final-Report-of-the-NSW-Bushfire-Inquiry.pdf |website=NSW 2019-20 Bushfire Inquiry Final Report}}

The NSW Bushfire Inquiry report found that, while thunderstorm activity was comparable to a normal year, lightning strikes were more likely to start a fire due to hot, dry conditions. Additionally, some fires became so large they generated pyrocumulus clouds and dry lightning, sparking more blazes.

The Inquiry also noted a small percentage of fires started from human causes, (including powerlines, machinery and amateur hazard reduction burns on private rural properties) but that fires caused by suspected arson were a "very small proportion of the area burnt".{{Cite web |title=NSW Bushfire Inquiry - Premier & Cabinet |url=https://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/publications/categories/nsw-bushfire-inquiry/ |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=www.dpc.nsw.gov.au |language=en-AU}}

Further, ABC News reported arson was of little impact – accounting for around 1% of NSW fires and 0.3% of Victorian fires by 18 January 2020. The NSW Rural Fire Service referred numerous individuals to the NSW Police; 24 people were charged with arson, allegedly starting bushfires.{{cite news |author=Rawsthorne, Sally |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-fires-legal-action-taken-against-183-people-this-bushfire-season-20200106-p53p97.html |title=Legal action taken against 183 people this bushfire season |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=25 January 2020}}{{cite news |author1=Cormack, Lucy |author2=Bungard, Matt |url=https://smh.com.au/national/nsw/rfs-volunteer-charged-with-allegedly-lighting-seven-fires-deliberately-20191127-p53ejo.html |title=RFS volunteer charged with lighting seven fires |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=27 November 2019 |access-date=5 January 2020}}{{cite news |author=Visontay, Elias |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nsw-firefronts-uncontrollable-as-state-braces-for-heatwave/news-story/4f006855e6b1598ba3a6d53c66391516 |title=NSW bushfires: police set to charge a dozen with arson |work=The Weekend Australian |date=17 December 2019 |access-date=5 January 2020}}{{cite press release |url=https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/statement-alleged-arson-incident |title=Statement – Alleged arson incident |publisher=New South Wales Rural Fire Service |date=27 November 2019 |access-date=5 January 2020}} Queensland police reported that 114 out of 1,068 fires "were found to be deliberately or maliciously lit".{{cite news |author=Butler, Josh |url=https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a200109ykhpu/separating-fact-from-fiction-a-breakdown-of-the-small-role-arson-played-this-bushfire-season-20200109 |title=Separating Fact From Fiction: A Breakdown Of The Small Role Arson Played This Bushfire Season |work=10 Daily |date=9 January 2020 |access-date=25 January 2020}}

A likely contributor to the bushfire crisis was the ongoing drought in eastern Australia{{spaced endash}}the most severe on record for some fire affected areas.{{Cite web |url=https://www.farmonline.com.au/story/6281386/drought-now-officially-our-worst-on-record/ |title=Drought now officially our worst on record |date=18 July 2019 |publisher=farmonline.com.au |access-date=19 July 2019}} Exacerbating the effects of diminished rainfall in this drought has been a record breaking run of above average monthly temperatures, lasting 36 months to October 2019.{{cite news |author=Noyes, Jenny |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-records-three-years-of-hotter-than-average-monthly-temperatures-20191105-p537kr.html |title=Australia records three years of hotter than average monthly temperatures |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 November 2019}} The combination of heat and drought caused critical low fuel moisture content, with Victoria Country Fire Authority Response Controller Gavin Freeman stating that the "underlying dryness" of the bush has led to exceptionally high fire danger.{{cite news |last1=Kontominas |first1=Bellinda |title=Fire in NSW leaves more than 2,000 homes damaged or destroyed as authorities brace for bad conditions |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-07/nsw-bushfire-threat-dry-windy-weather-to-return-friday/11844556 |website=ABC News |date=6 January 2020 |location=Australia |access-date=7 January 2020}} Although Australia has naturally experienced high rainfall variability and hot summers for millennia, the country has experienced an increase of nearly {{convert|1.0|C-change}} in average annual temperatures since 1900, decreases in average rainfall in southeastern Australia since 1990, with the country's worst recorded droughts occurring within the 21st century.{{cite web |last1=Australian Bureau of Meteorology |title=State of the Climate 2018 |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/ |website=Australian Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=22 January 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Climate Change in Australia |title=Australian Climate Trends |url=https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/climate-campus/australian-climate-change/australian-trends/ |website=Climate Change in Australia |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-date=5 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105174351/https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/climate-campus/australian-climate-change/australian-trends/ |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |author1=Jones, Ben |author2=Watkins, Andrew B. |author3=Braganza, Karl |author4=Power, Scott B. |url=http://theconversation.com/hasta-la-vista-el-nino-but-dont-hold-out-for-normal-weather-just-yet-53565 |title=Hasta la vista El Nino – but don't hold out for 'normal' weather just yet |date=28 January 2016 |work=The Conversation |access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/rerain.shtml |title=Regional Rainfall Trends |year=2011 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=7 February 2017 |archive-date=7 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807233758/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/rerain.shtml |url-status=dead}}{{cite book |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/7276.htm |title=Ten Commitments Revisited |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |year=2014 |isbn=9781486301676 |editor1=Lindenmayer, David |editor2=Dovers, Stephen |editor3=Morton, Steve}} The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) stated that on account of projected future climate change, hot days will become more frequent and hotter (very high confidence), and the time in drought is projected to increase over southern Australia (high confidence).{{cite book |title=Climate Change in Australia: Technical Report 2007 |publisher=CSIRO |isbn=978-1-921232-94-7 |url=http://ccia2007.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/technical_report.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228024849/http://ccia2007.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/technical_report.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 February 2015 |year=2007 |editor1-first=Karen |editor1-last=Pearce |editor2-first=Paul |editor2-last=Holper |editor3-first=Mandy |editor3-last=Hopkins |editor4-first=Willem |editor4-last=Bouma |editor5-first=Penny |editor5-last=Whetton |editor6-first=Kevin |editor6-last=Hennessy |editor7-first=Scott |editor7-last=Power}} In October 2019 David Littleproud, the Australian Minister for Water Resources, stated that he "totally accepts" the link between climate change and drought in Australia, as someone who has experienced it first hand.{{cite news |author1=Murphy, Katharine |title=Water resources minister 'totally' accepts drought linked to climate change |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/06/water-resources-minister-totally-accepts-drought-linked-to-climate-change |access-date=6 October 2019 |work=Guardian Australia |date=6 October 2019}}

{{Further|Climate change in Australia}}

Climate and fire experts agree that climate change is a factor known to result in increased fire frequency and intensity in south east Australia, and although it should not be considered as the sole cause of the 2019–20 Australian fires,{{cite news |last1=Woodburn |first1=Joanna |title=NSW Government says entire state in drought, new DPI figures reveal full extent of big dry |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/nsw-government-says-entire-state-is-now-in-drought/10088628 |access-date=23 August 2018 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=8 August 2018}} climate change is considered very likely to have contributed to the unprecedented extent and severity of the fires.{{cite journal |last1=Hennesy |first1=Kevin |author2=Lucas, C. |author3=Nicholls, J. |author4=Bathols, J. |author5=Suppiah, R. |author6=Ricketts, J. |title=Climate change impacts on fire-weather in south-east Australia |date=December 2005 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252471836 |journal=CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and Bushfire CRC and Australian Bureau of Meteorology |publisher=CSIRO Australia |access-date=3 January 2020 |isbn=1-921061-10-3}}{{Cite web |first=Emmanuel |last=Vincent |url=https://science.feedback.org/review/climate-change-bushfires-australia-breitbart-newspunch/ |title=Climate change is one factor affecting how fires in Australia burn, regardless of whether arsonists or lightning started them |date=8 January 2020 |website=Science Feedback |publisher=Climate Feedback |access-date=16 September 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/media-reaction-australias-bushfires-and-climate-change |title=Media reaction: Australia's bushfires and climate change |date=7 January 2020 |website=Carbon Brief |access-date=11 January 2020}}{{cite news |last=Shukman |first=David |date=16 January 2020 |title=Sir David Attenborough warns of climate 'crisis moment' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51123638 |work=BBC |access-date=17 January 2020 |quote=Scientists say climate change is one of several factors behind the Australian fires; others include how forests are managed and natural patterns in the weather.}}

Australian scientific organisations, including the CSIRO clearly acknowledged the role of climate change and record drought in the unprecedented bushfire season.{{Cite web |last=CSIRO |title=The 2019-20 bushfires: a CSIRO explainer |url=https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/preparing-for-climate-change/2019-20-bushfires-explainer |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=www.csiro.au |language=en-AU}} The Australian Academy of Science stated "The scientific evidence base shows that as the world warms due to human induced climate change, we experience an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events."{{Cite web |title=Statement regarding Australian bushfires {{!}} Australian Academy of Science |url=https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/news-and-media-releases/statement-regarding-australian-bushfires |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=www.science.org.au |language=en}}

The crisis has led to calls for more action to combat climate change. In December 2019, Australia had been ranked worst in terms of policy, and sixth worst overall, out of 57 countries assessed on the Climate Change Performance Index, with the Morrison government labelled "an increasingly regressive force."{{cite web |title=Australia ranked worst of 57 countries on climate change policy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/11/australia-ranked-worst-of-57-countries-on-climate-change-policy |author=Martin, Sarah |date=11 December 2019 |access-date=8 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia}} Originally downplaying the role of climate change in causing the fires,{{cite web |title=Australian PM Downplays Climate Change as Cause of Deadly Fires |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-22/australian-pm-downplays-climate-change-as-cause-of-deadly-fires |author=Brockett, Matthew |date=22 December 2019 |access-date=7 January 2020 |work=Bloomberg}} Prime Minister Morrison eventually conceded that climate change was one of "many factors" involved and added that Australia was "playing its part" in the international effort against climate change.{{cite web |title=Scott Morrison says climate change 'contributed' to bushfires |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/scott-morrison-says-climate-change-was-a-contributing-factor-to-bushfires/news-story/ |author=Fernando, Gavin |date=12 December 2019 |access-date=2 January 2020 |work=News.com.au |quote=Following weeks of growing calls for more action to address climate change, Mr Morrison stated that climate change was a contributing factor to the bushfires that have plagued the nation for months. ... climate change is a global challenge. Australia is playing our role as part of this global challenge. In fact, I can tell you that emissions from Australia are lower today than at any other time than before we came to government.}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020}} That said, the Morrison government has received some criticism on its 2030 emission reduction targets. Several members of the governing Liberal Party were criticised internationally for climate change denial, with backbencher Craig Kelly called "disgraceful" during an interview with the hosts of Good Morning Britain for denying any link between climate change and the fires,{{cite web |title='Climate denier' MP Craig Kelly roasted on British TV |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/01/07/craig-kelly-piers-morgan-climate-denial/ |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020 |work=The New Daily}} and the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation receiving "angry" feedback from listeners after airing an interview in which former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott said the world was "in the grip of a climate cult."{{cite web |author=Readfern, Graham |title=Tony Abbott, former Australian PM, tells Israeli radio the world is 'in the grip of a climate cult' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/03/tony-abbott-former-australian-pm-tells-israeli-radio-the-world-is-in-the-grip-of-a-climate-cult |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia}} Prior to the worst phases of the bushfires, in an interview in November 2019, former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said the party had struggled with the issue of climate change denial for more than a decade because it had become an issue of "identity" rather than fact, and criticised News Corporation for being a "long-time promoter" of climate denialism.{{cite web |author=Murphy, Katharine |title=Malcolm Turnbull says Liberals' struggles with climate denial are hurting Australia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/23/malcolm-turnbull-says-liberals-struggles-with-climate-denial-are-hurting-australia |date=23 November 2019 |access-date=7 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia}} The chief executive of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia said bushfire preparations had been "stymied" by the federal government, because "there are people within government who firmly believe there is no such thing as climate change or that human beings don't have an impact upon it, and they are adamant that no extra work or extra effort should ever happen because they don't believe in climate change."{{cite web |author=Janda, Michael |title=Bushfire preparations stymied by climate change deniers in Government, says small business lobby |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-06/climate-change-deniers-hinder-fire-response-says-business-group/11843530 |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia}}

The NSW Bushfire Inquiry into the causes of the fires published their findings in July 2020. The Inquiry found that climate change played a major role in the summer's fires.{{cite web |title=NSW accepts all 76 recommendations of inquiry into summer bushfires and admits link to climate change |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-accepts-all-76-recommendations-of-inquiry-into-summer-bushfires-and-admits-link-to-climate-change |date=25 August 2020 |access-date=16 September 2020 |work=SBS News |location=Australia}}

During, and immediately after the crisis, Australian public concern over climate change increased,{{Cite web |date=2020-10-27 |title=Climate of the Nation: Climate Change Concern Hits 82% |url=https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/climate-of-the-nation-climate-change-concern-hits-82/ |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=The Australia Institute |language=en-US}} reflecting the scientific evidence that climate change had exacerbated the fires. This increased criticism of the conservative government's climate policy. Protests were held in the midst of the crisis, although some were criticised for their timing and use of resources, including by the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/melbourne-climate-change-protest-not-appropriate-daniel-andrews/news-story/f0fa76b1db53359cf314f1342bf3f6bf |title=Melbourne climate change protest not appropriate: Daniel Andrews |work=The Australian}}

Conservative politicians and media primarily blamed a lack of prescribed burning and fire break management, although such assertion has subsequently been heavily criticised and disproven by scientific experts.{{cite web |last1=Gibbons |first1=Phil |title=What is the evidence behind hazard-reduction burning? |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6514176/what-is-the-evidence-behind-hazard-reduction-burning/ |website=The Canberra Times |date=December 2019 |access-date=6 January 2020}} Accompanying this was a claim that environmental groups were responsible for the crisis by inhibiting prescribed burning, despite environmental groups holding negligible political power.{{cite web |last1=Readfern |first1=Graham |date=12 November 2019 |title=Factcheck: Is there really a green conspiracy to stop bushfire hazard reduction? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/12/is-there-really-a-green-conspiracy-to-stop-bushfire-hazard-reduction |website=Guardian Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}}

Furthermore, the amount of prescribed burning in southeastern Australia has been stated to have increased in recent years, following the recommendation for increased prescribed burning from the 2009 Black Saturday Royal Commission. Experts suggested that prescribed burning has been more difficult to achieve given recent trends towards warmer and dryer conditions. Experts have also cast skepticism on the effectiveness of fuel reduction treatments, citing research that suggests that prescribed burning does little to stop bushfire and save property in south east Australia, with climate and weather conditions having primary influence.{{cite journal |last1=Gibbons |first1=Phil |title=Land Management Practices Associated with House Loss in Wildfires |journal=PLOS ONE |date=18 January 2012 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=e29212 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0029212 |pmid=22279530 |pmc=3260958 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...729212G |doi-access=free}}

The effect of previous prescribed burns in slowing the 2019–20 Australian fires and assisting fire suppression efforts remains unclear, although in many instances the fires were observed to burn through cleared agricultural land and forest recently affected by unplanned and prescribed burns, owing to the extreme weather conditions and dryness of vegetation.{{cite web |last1=Foley |first1=Mik |title=More hazard-reduction burns not the answer, experts warn |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/more-hazard-reduction-burns-not-the-answer-experts-warn-20200107-p53p8i.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Cartwright |first1=Zoe |title=What does the fire spread map for January 4 mean? We break it down |url=https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/6565446/what-does-the-fire-spread-map-for-january-4-mean-we-break-it-down/?cs=50 |website=Bega District News |date=3 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2020}}{{cite journal |title=NPWS Fire History – Wildfires and Prescribed Burns |url=https://data.nsw.gov.au/data/dataset/fire-history-wildfires-and-prescribed-burns-1e8b6 |website=Data NSW |publisher=NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment |access-date=7 January 2020}} Of particular note, the damaging Currowan fire burnt through a large area of Morton National Park subject in 2017 to one of the largest prescribed burns ever successfully conducted in NSW.{{cite web |title=Largest hazard reduction burn a success in Morton National Park |url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/largest-hazard-reduction-burn-a-success-in-morton-national-park |publisher=NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment |access-date=7 January 2020}} In relation to the blame of prescribed burning, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science David Bowman stated "These are very tired and very old conspiracy theories that get a run after most major fires," and that they were "an obvious attempt to deflect the conversation away from climate change."{{cite web |last1=Smyth |first1=Ben |title=UPDATES: Bemboka bushfire out of control, three buildings lost |url=https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/5647682/updates-bemboka-bushfire-out-of-control-three-buildings-lost/ |website=Bega District News |date=15 September 2018 |access-date=7 January 2020}} In the lead up to another Federal inquiry into state land management, Professor of Bushfire Behaviour and Management Trent Penman added "If there was a silver bullet on bushfires we'd have found it by now, after the 51 [bushfire] inquiries since 1939," and that "blindly putting money into prescribed burning won't stop the problem". Despite evidence to suggest that fuel loads played a minimal role in the 2019–20 Australian fires, there are calls to open up Australian protected lands to industry, particularly logging and grazing, to reduce fire fuel, with these calls having so far mainly stemmed from individuals and businesses with interests in such industries, and have resulted in the circulation of large amounts of disinformation.{{cite web |title=Firestorms follow move away from cool burning Graham Lloyd |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Finquirer%2Ffirestorms-follow-move-away-from-cool-burning%2Fnews-story%2F9e0b6bc2cee5851d56dbedaafa7ce26e&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium |website=The Australian |access-date=7 January 2020 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |title=Forestry call to take the fight to fires |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fnation%2Fforestry-industry-cfmeu-united-on-logging-burns-to-take-fight-to-bushfires%2Fnews-story%2Ff890944893a1135a8896f9fcbb8cc0bc&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium |website=The Australian |access-date=7 January 2020 |url-access=subscription}}

During, and immediately after the fire season, misinformation and false reports circulated on various commercial media outlets and social media,{{Cite web |date=2020-01-07 |title=The bushfire lies spreading 'wildly' on social media |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-08/fires-misinformation-being-spread-through-social-media/11846434 |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU}} including claims about the extent of the fires, its precedents and causes, and matters like funding of fire fighting services.

; Misleading maps and graphics

A number of maps giving an exaggerated impression of Australia's fires went viral online, and were published by major news outlets. It was reported by news.com.au that "Some bushfire maps have been criticised for misleading people about the location and size of the fires, with a map used by the ABC in the US appearing to show the entire east coast of Australia on fire, as well as a strange line of fires through the centre of the country... "[https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/fake-and-misleading-images-of-australias-bushfire-crisis-are-being-circulated/news-story/ce1a7def75e87e5a0146116c6eb734f6 Fake and misleading images of Australia's bushfire crisis are being circulated]; news.com.au; 8 January 2020 One image created by Anthony Hearsey spread widely on Twitter and by celebrities including Rihanna was wrongly interpreted as a map showing the live extent of fires, when in fact it sought to present one month of data of locations where fire was detected, according to NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System.[https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51020564 Australia fires: Misleading maps and pictures go viral]; BBC NSW 7 January 2020{{cite journal |last1=Kent |first1=Alexander |title=All that Glitters: Art, Fire and Post-Cartographic Design |journal=The Cartographic Journal |date=2020 |volume=57 |issue=1 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1080/00087041.2020.1735085 |doi-access=free}} Maps showing "hotspots" were spread online as comprehensive fire maps, giving an exaggerated impression of the extent of fires.[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-08/misleading-fire-maps-go-viral-during-australian-bushfire-crisis/11850948 The truth behind the 'misleading' fire maps that have gone viral during Australia's bushfire crisis]; Australian Broadcasting Corporation; 8 January 2020 Photographs of previous Australian bushfires were also being wrongly published as current{{Cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/australian-bushfires-fake-viral-image-102216729.html |title=The truth behind this viral image of the Australian bushfires |last=Whigham |first=Nick |date=7 January 2020 |publisher=Yahoo! News |access-date=8 January 2020}} and maps that exaggerate the extent of the fires, or include both past and present fires.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51020564 |title=Australia fires: Misleading maps and pictures go viral |last=Rannard |first=Georgina |date=7 January 2020 |website=BBC News.ukaccess-date=9 January 2020}}

; Exaggerated extent of arson

The Guardian reported "Bot and troll accounts are involved in a 'disinformation campaign' exaggerating the role of arson in Australia's bushfire disaster, social media analysis suggests... The false claims are, in some cases, used to undermine the link between the current bushfires and the longer, more intense fire seasons brought about by climate change." The report cited a study by Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer on social network analysis Dr Timothy Graham, who examined content published on the #arsonemergency hashtag on Twitter.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/08/twitter-bots-trolls-australian-bushfires-social-media-disinformation-campaign-false-claims |title=Bots and trolls spread false arson claims in Australian fires 'disinformation campaign' |work=Guardian Australia |date=8 January 2020 |author=Knaus, Christopher |access-date=14 January 2020}} Giovanni Torre wrote for The Telegraph that "Australia's bushfire crisis has led to what appears to be a deliberate misinformation campaign started by climate-change deniers claiming arson is the primary cause of the ongoing fires...

Social media accounts, including Donald Trump Jr's Twitter account, circulated the false claim that 183 people had been arrested for arson during the Australian fire crisis..."{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/08/fake-news-spreads-australian-wildfires-inaccurate-report-184/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/08/fake-news-spreads-australian-wildfires-inaccurate-report-184/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Fake news spreads over Australian wildfires as inaccurate report of 183 arson arrests is shared worldwide |work=The Telegraph |location=United Kingdom |date=8 January 2020 |author=Torre, Giovanni |access-date=14 January 2020}}{{cbignore}} In 2021, the Australian Press Council determined the news report that 183 arsonists had been arrested "was not misleading".{{cite news |author1=Graham Readfearn |title=Bushfire article in the Australian that fuelled misinformation cleared by press council |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/16/bushfire-article-in-the-australian-that-fuelled-misinformation-cleared-by-press-council |access-date=30 October 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=16 February 2021 |quote=Australia’s press watchdog has ruled an article in the Australian newspaper that fuelled misinformation that arsonists were a major cause of the Black Summer fires was not misleading.}} 183 people were subject to legal action, but only 24 for "deliberately-lit bushfires".{{cite news |author=McGuirk, Rod |title=Australian wildfires fan argument over impact of arsonists |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/australian-wildfires-fan-argument-over-impact-of-arsonists/2020/01/31/51c38564-4499-11ea-99c7-1dfd4241a2fe_story.html |access-date=16 February 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=31 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201142143/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/australian-wildfires-fan-argument-over-impact-of-arsonists/2020/01/31/51c38564-4499-11ea-99c7-1dfd4241a2fe_story.html |archive-date=1 February 2020 |url-status=dead |quote="Legal action" had been taken against 183 people since November for "bushfire-related offenses." These included only 24 people charged over "deliberately-lit bushfires."}}{{cite news |url=https://whdh.com/news/australian-wildfires-fan-argument-over-impact-of-arsonists/ |title=Australian wildfires fan argument over impact of arsonists |agency=Associated Press |work=7 News |location=Boston, USA |date=31 January 2020}} An opinion piece for The Conversation website stated "In the first week of 2020, hashtag #ArsonEmergency became the focal point of a new online narrative surrounding the bushfire crisis. The message: the cause is arson, not climate change. Police and bushfire services (and some journalists) have contradicted this claim [...] We’ve observed both troll and bot accounts spouting disinformation regarding the bushfires on Twitter." The article also argued that a disinformation was underway to downplay the role of climate change in causing the fires.{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/bushfires-bots-and-arson-claims-australia-flung-in-the-global-disinformation-spotlight-129556 |title=Bushfires, bots and arson claims: Australia flung in the global disinformation spotlight |work=The Conversation |date=10 January 2020 |author1=Graham, Timothy |author2=Keller, Tobias R. |access-date=25 January 2020}} The vice.com website wrote "Research conducted by the Queensland University of Technology showed that Twitter accounts with the characteristics of bots or trolls were spreading disinformation about the responsibility of arsonists and Greens."{{cite news |last=Macdonald |first=Connor |date=17 January 2020 |title=Australia's Bushfires Are the Worst Ever. So Is the Disinformation Campaign |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/v74dx3/conservatives-across-the-world-are-spreading-disinformation-about-wildfires |work=Vice |access-date=17 January 2020}} The Guardian accused News Corp of furthering arson disinformation.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/08/police-contradict-claims-spread-online-exaggerating-arsons-role-in-australian-bushfires |title=Police contradict claims spread online exaggerating arson's role in Australian bushfires |last=Knaus |first=Christopher |date=8 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=8 January 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}

RMIT's [https://www.abc.net.au/news/factcheck FactCheck] found no evidence to support the claims of arson being a major factor in the bushfires.{{Cite web |date=2020-01-15 |title=Here are the facts about arson and the bushfire crisis |url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/01/16/arson-bushfire-crisis-fact-check/ |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=Crikey |language=en-US}}

; Funding for the Rural Fire Service

Incorrect reports were disseminated that the New South Wales Government, led by Premier Gladys Berejiklian, had cut funding to fire services.{{Cite news |author1=Campbell, David |author2=RMIT ABC Fact Check |work=ABC News |location=Australia |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-05/fact-check-are-nsw-firefighters-facing--budget-cuts/11747396 |title=Jodi McKay says the NSW firefighting budget is facing a $40 million cut. Is that correct? |date=9 December 2019 |access-date=4 January 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101232401/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-05/fact-check-are-nsw-firefighters-facing--budget-cuts/11747396 |archive-date=1 January 2020}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.examiner.com.au/story/6495171/nsw-fire-union-budget-claim-not-clear-cut/ |title=NSW fire union budget claim not clear cut |date=14 November 2019 |access-date=4 January 2020 |work=The Examiner |location=Tasmania |agency=Australian Associated Press}} NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, in response to the funding cut claims, stated "that it is rubbish, it is misinformation, it's being misrepresented and I think it is disgracefully being misrepresented here today". He also stated that "not only has our budget not been cut, we are enjoying record budgets. We have got more money today than we have ever had before in the history of the organisation".{{YouTube|id=feiPdhStHvk|title=Cuts to firefighting budgets described as "rubbish" Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons}} Debate and controversy continue to surround previous funding cuts to fire management agencies, with other reports noting recent funding cuts to the National Parks & Wildlife Service, which is responsible for the planning and enforcement of prescribed burns in NSW national parks.{{cite web |url=http://www.pennysharpe.com/cuts_to_national_parks_raising_bushfire_risk |title=Cuts to national parks raising bushfire risk |last1=Sharpe |first1=Hon. Penny |author-link=Penny Sharpe |work=Hansard |publisher=Penny Sharpe MLC |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-06/national-parks-underfunded-former-ranger-warns/11282562 |title=National parks funding decreases amid growing threats to the environment, former ranger warns |last1=Davis |first1=Jess |website=ABC News |date=5 July 2019 |location=Australia |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/17/under-siege-our-commitment-to-australias-national-parks-is-waning |title=Under siege: our commitment to Australia's national parks is waning |last1=Davies |first1=Anne |website=Guardian Australia |date=16 December 2018 |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/national-parks-left-to-burn-after-jobs-and-funding-cuts-20191113-p53aav.html |title=National Parks left to burn after jobs and funding cuts (letters to the editor)|author1=Carolyn Pettigrew |author2=Bernie de Vries |author3=Terry Liddicoat |author4=Laura Beaupeurt |author5=Peter Arthur |author6=Sue Runciman |author7=Tim Spicer |author8=Sue Martin |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 November 2019 |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite press release |url=https://psa.asn.au/future-npws-employee-transition/ |title=Future NPWS Employee Transition |date=17 August 2017 |publisher=Public Service Association NSW |access-date=4 January 2020}}

; Hazard reduction

Along with other misinformation, claims were made{{Cite web |title=Green ideology, not climate change, makes bushfires worse Green ideology, not climate change, makes bushfires worse |date=10 March 2019 |url=https://volunteerfirefighters.org.au/green-ideology-not-climate-change-makes-bushfires-worse |access-date=2021-03-05 |language=en-AU}} that Australian Greens politicians had control over - and blocked - hazard reduction efforts by fire services. The Greens' policy supports hazard reduction, and did so at the time.{{Cite web |last=Greens |first=Australian |date=2019 |title=Bushfires, Hazard Reduction and Back Burning |url=https://greens.org.au/bushfires |access-date=5 March 2021 |website=Greens' Bushfire policy}}{{Cite web |title=The burning truth about the Greens' bushfire risk policy |url=https://oldfactcheck.aap.com.au/social-media-claims/the-burning-truth-about-the-greens-bushfire-risk-policy |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=oldfactcheck.aap.com.au |language=en-US}} Additionally, as state governments are responsible for fire management, and the Greens at the time held only a small percent of seats in any state parliament, it is unclear how they could have had any control over fire management practices.

However, as The Guardian reports "Despite the evidence, a claim persists that a major contributing factor of Australia's devastating fire season... is not climate change but a conspiracy by environmentalists to 'lock up' national parks and prevent hazard reduction activities such as prescribed burning and clearing of the forest floor".{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/08/twitter-bots-trolls-australian-bushfires-social-media-disinformation-campaign-false-claims |title=Factcheck: Is there really a green conspiracy to stop bushfire hazard reduction? |work=Guardian Australia |date=12 November 2019 |author=Readfearn, Graham |access-date=14 January 2020}}

; Other false reports

• Fires would clear land to benefit a high-speed rail project.
• Islamic State was somehow responsible or involved.
• The fires were a false flag operation deliberately lit by climate change activists.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/12/disinformation-and-lies-are-spreading-faster-than-australias-bushfires |title=Disinformation and lies are spreading faster than Australia's bushfires |work=Guardian Australia |date=12 January 2020 |author=Knaus, Christopher |access-date=14 January 2020}}

File:2019-20 NSW Bushfire State Memorial at Qudos Bank Arena.jpg

Ongoing political and social debate has surrounded many aspects of the 2019–20 Australian fire crisis, particularly regarding the causes and future prevention of such fire activity, and the role of climate change. Amid a conservative government that has received noted criticism for its climate change inaction and support for fossil fuel industries, growing acknowledgement within the nation's politics and society of the issue of climate change in Australia resulted in a highly political agenda to the crisis response.{{cite web |last1=Chemnick |first1=Jean |title=As Fires Rage, Australia Pushes to Emit More Carbon |url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/as-fires-rage-australia-pushes-to-emit-more-carbon/ |work=Scientific American |access-date=22 January 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Irvine |first1=Jessica |title=Environment now trumps economy on Australian list of biggest worries |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/environment-now-trumps-economy-on-australian-list-of-biggest-worries-20200121-p53td7.html |work=Brisbane Times |date=21 January 2020 |access-date=22 January 2020}} The governing Liberal and National parties, accompanied by numerous news outlets associated with climate change denial, firmly deflected responsibility away from the record-breaking drought affecting the country and its associated links to climate change observations and projections.{{cite web |last1=Dunne |first1=Daisy |title=Media reaction: Australia's bushfires and climate change |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/media-reaction-australias-bushfires-and-climate-change |website=Carbon Brief |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=22 January 2020}}

Conversely, scientific experts have asserted the influence of climate change, drought, prolonged fire weather, and contextualised the limited role of prescribed burning and arson in influencing the crisis. The political and social response to the crisis has been marked notably by political blame shifting, the circulation of large amounts of disinformation, and political disregard for scientific research, expert opinion, and previous government inquiries.{{cite news |last1=Knaus |first1=Christopher |title=Disinformation and lies are spreading faster than Australia's bushfires |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/12/disinformation-and-lies-are-spreading-faster-than-australias-bushfires |website=Guardian Australia |access-date=22 January 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Worthington |first1=Brett |title=Barnaby Joyce says NSW bushfire victims 'most likely' voted for the Greens |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-12/barnaby-joyce-greens-council-bushfire-victims/11696654 |website=ABC News |date=12 November 2019 |location=Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}}

On 24 January, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons announced a state memorial for people impacted by the bushfires in New South Wales, which was held on 23 February at Sydney Olympic Park.{{cite press release |author1=Berejiklian, Gladys |author1-link=Gladys Berejiklian |author2=Fitzsimmons, Shane |author2-link=Shane Fitzsimmons |url=https://www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/the-premier/media-releases-from-the-premier/bushfire-disaster-state-memorial/ |title=Bushfire Disaster State Memorial |publisher=Government of New South Wales |date=24 January 2020 |access-date=16 February 2020}}

File:Brisbane Protest Sack Scomo! Fund Firies! Climate Action Now! (49361581887).jpg

Further controversy surrounded prime minister Scott Morrison for taking an overseas family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfires.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50879850 |title=PM Scott Morrison Sorry for Hawaii Holiday During Crisis |date=22 December 2019 |work=BBC News |access-date=23 December 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222090635/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50879850 |archive-date=22 December 2019}} These criticisms also applied to New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services David Elliot, who went for a holiday in Europe.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-27/nsw-emergency-services-david-elliott-holidays-amid-bushfires/11828744 |title=Emergency Services Minister heads off on European holiday as bushfire crisis continues |date=27 December 2019 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230155911/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-27/nsw-emergency-services-david-elliott-holidays-amid-bushfires/11828744 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019}}{{cite news |author1=Lyn Fletcher |author2=Janette Hvistendahl |author3=Michael Tierney |author4=Srdan Knežević |author5=Rod Anderson |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/missing-in-action-prime-minister-shows-poor-leadership-20191219-p53ll2.html |title=Missing in action Prime Minister shows poor leadership (letters to the editor)|date=20 December 2019 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230152211/https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/missing-in-action-prime-minister-shows-poor-leadership-20191219-p53ll2.html |archive-date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019}} Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was also criticised for holidaying on a cruise ship while fires were active in the state.{{cite web |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/bushfires-double-standards-call-on-qld-premier-annastacia-palaszczuks-leave/news-story/5e22112d2b8e7c85f42bac67fd7e7624 |title=Bushfires: 'Double standards' call on Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's leave |last1=Peel |first1=Charlie |last2=Akerman |first2=Tessa |website=The Australian |date=23 December 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020 |url-access=subscription}}

While travelling throughout fire-affected towns in New South Wales, Morrison was filmed attempting to shake the hands of two residents in Cobargo who had refused to shake his outstretched hand. Morrison was criticised for grabbing and then shaking their hands despite their refusals.{{Cite web |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/scott-morrison-cobargo-tour-hastily-moves-on-as-residents-express-anger/98f2b3ff-e648-4e65-a84d-f5273d5e930e |title='I don't take it personally' says Morrison on angry Cobargo visit |website=9news.com.au|date=3 January 2020 }}{{cite news |title=Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been met with hostility and criticism while visiting bushfire victims |date=3 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/pm-has-been-met-with-hostility-and-criticism-in-cobargo/11838572 |access-date=3 January 2020}} In an interview with Andrew Constance, NSW Liberal MP for Bega, Constance described the incident stating "the locals probably gave him the welcome he probably deserved".{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/scott-morrison-got-bushfire-welcome-he-deserved-says-liberal-mp/11838476 |title='Welcome he deserved': Liberal MP speaks out as bushfire victims, firefighters shun PM |author1=Nguyen, Kevin |author2=Dalzell, Stephanie |date=3 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}} Morrison did not appear concerned with the criticism, later stating, "people are angry, and if people want to direct that at me, that is up to them".{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/scott-morrison-responds-to-angry-criticism-bushfire-victims/11839674 |title=Bushfire crisis 'not about one individual', says PM after angry criticism |author=Dalzell, Stephanie |date=3 January 2020 |website=ABC News |location=Australia |access-date=3 January 2020}}

On 4 January, volunteer firefighter Paul Parker, from Nelligen, rose to fame after he stopped his firetruck next to a Channel 7 news crew, and used colourful language to denounce what he perceived as an inadequate response by Morrison.{{Cite web |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/australia-bushfires-firefighters-message-scott-morrison-013012584.html |title='Tell the PM to go and get f***ed': Rural firefighter's brutal message for ScoMo |date=5 January 2020 |publisher=Yahoo! News |access-date=26 January 2020}}{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/as-told-to/the-firefighter-whose-denunciation-of-australias-prime-minister-made-him-a-folk-hero |title=The Firefighter Whose Denunciation of Australia's Prime Minister Made Him a Folk Hero |last=Schaffer |first=Amanda |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=26 January 2020}}

Soon after, Morrison released a video on behalf of the Liberal Party regarding deployment of military assets to respond to the bushfire crisis, for which he was widely criticised.{{cite news |author=Bourke, Latika |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/for-god-s-sake-rudd-says-pm-unfit-for-job-after-liberal-party-bushfire-ad-20200105-p53ow7.html |title='For God's sake': Rudd says PM unfit for job after Liberal Party bushfire ad |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/04/scott-morrisons-political-ad-is-a-bizarre-act-of-self-love-as-firefighters-battle-to-save-australia |title=Scott Morrison's political ad is a bizarre act of self-love as firefighters battle to save Australia |first=Katharine |last=Murphy |date=4 January 2020 |work=Guardian Australia |access-date=5 January 2020}} The video was perceived as an inappropriate and an untimely political advertisement, with former ABC broadcaster Barrie Cassidy calling it "absolutely obscene,"{{Cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-05/scott-morrison-criticised-for-political-ads-during-bushfires/11841458 |title=Scott Morrison criticised for running 'absolutely obscene' political ads during bushfires |first=Alan |last=Weedon |date=5 January 2020 |work=ABC News |location=Australia}} journalist Peter van Onselen saying it was "beyond inappropriate", and British political commentator Piers Morgan characterising it as "one of the most tone-deaf things I've ever seen a country's leader put out during a crisis."{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/this-is-absolutely-obscene-scott-morrison-slammed-after-tweeting-50second-ad-spruiking-new-bushfire-measures/news-story/faa88f349b1e9214c1a74c11201d2633 |title=Scott Morrison slammed after tweeting 50-second ad spruiking new bushfire measures |work=News.com.au |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}} The Australian Defence Association, a public-interest watchdog dealing with defence issues, said the video was "milking ADF support to civil agencies fighting bushfires" and was a "clear breach of the (reciprocal) non-partisanship convention applying to both the ADF & Ministers/MPs." NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Fitzsimmons said it was "disappointing" to learn of the announcement of military assistance from the media and not the government directly.{{cite news |author=Bourke, Latika |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/disappointing-rfs-boss-says-he-heard-of-defence-deployment-from-media-not-pm-20200105-p53owi.html |title=NSW fires: RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons heard of ADF deployment from media, not Scott Morrison |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}} Morrison was further criticised for a "donate" button on a Liberal Party website page which misleadingly led to a donations page for the Liberal Party itself, rather than bushfire relief; the button was later removed. In 2021 the documentary film Burning by Eva Orner addressed the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires from several different perspectives, placing a particular focus on the inactions of Morrison.{{Cite web |date=27 November 2021 |title=Burning: The environmental doco Scott Morrison won't want you to see hits Amazon |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/stuff-to-watch/300462365/burning-the-environmental-doco-scott-morrison-wont-want-you-to-see-hits-amazon}}

English writer and journalist Jeremy Clarkson was reprimanded for writing a column that stated "God didn't want people to live in Australia", where he suggested Anglo Australian residents to "come home" because Australia is "God's laboratory" and is a "place far, far away where he could house all his experiments that had gone wrong". He then concluded, "Plainly, God is embarrassed. Because he's decided to set fire to it...which means people must accept that Australia isn't meant for human habitation". Although Clarkson was attempting to be humorous with his comments, he was heavily criticised on social media for being insensitive and disrespectful to the victims.{{cite news |author=Murphy, Matthew |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/jeremy-clarkson-says-god-didnt-want-people-to-live-in-australia/news-story/5b3baee3c5b5825c788c7c00070ccdcc#share-tools |title=Jeremy Clarkson says God didn't want people to live in Australia |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 January 2020 |access-date=8 April 2021}}

{{main|Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements}}

On 5 December 2019 David Littleproud, the Minister for natural disasters and emergency management, announced that the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy would conduct an inquiry into the ‘efficacy of past and current vegetation and land management policy, practice and legislation and their effect on the intensity and frequency of bushfires and subsequent risk to property, life and the environment’.{{cite news |author=Barnes, Paul |url=https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/do-we-need-a-bushfire-royal-commission/ |title=Do we need a bushfire royal commission? |work=The Strategist |publisher=Australian Strategic Policy Institute |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}} The Royal Commission's report was presented to the Governor-General on 28 October 2020 and published on 30 October 2020.{{Cite web |date=30 October 2020 |title=Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements |url=https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/royal-commission-national-natural-disaster-arrangements-report}} On 14 January 2020, the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, announced an independent investigation into the 2019–2020 bushfire season in Victoria.{{cite press release |author=Andrews, Daniel |author-link=Daniel Andrews |url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/independent-investigation-into-fire-season/ |title=Independent Investigation into Fire Season |publisher=Victorian Government |date=14 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}}{{cite news |author=McMillan, Ashleigh |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-s-bushfire-review-already-underway-premier-andrews-20200112-p53qrh.html |title=Inquiry into Victoria's bushfire season has already begun |work=The Age |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}}{{cite news |author=Karp, Paul |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/14/victoria-announces-inquiry-into-bushfire-crisis-as-morrison-flags-royal-commission |title=Victoria announces inquiry into bushfire crisis as Morrison flags royal commission |work=Guardian Australia |date=14 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}} On 31 January 2020, the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian announced an independent investigation to review the causes, preparation and response to the bushfires in New South Wales.{{cite press release |author=Berejiklian, Gladys |author-link=Gladys Berejiklian |url=https://www.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/news/premier-announces-independent-bushfire-inquiry/ |title=Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced an independent expert inquiry into the 2019–20 bushfire season |publisher=Government of New South Wales |date=30 January 2020 |access-date=21 February 2020 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221152443/https://www.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/news/premier-announces-independent-bushfire-inquiry/ |url-status=dead}}

On 12 January 2020, the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison outlined a proposal to establish a royal commission into the bushfires.{{cite news |author=Martin, Sarah |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/12/scott-morrison-flags-bushfires-royal-commission-and-says-coalition-could-bolster-emissions-targets |title=Scott Morrison flags bushfires royal commission and says Coalition could bolster emissions reduction |work=Guardian Australia |date=12 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}} Requiring the approval of the state and territory governments, the Commonwealth Government drafted terms of reference.{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/official-request-for-bushfire-royal-commission-goes-to-states-20200204-p53xm8.html |title=Official request for bushfire royal commission goes to states |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=4 February 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}}{{cite news |author=Dalzell, Stephanie |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-06/royal-commission-into-the-bushfire-crisis-to-examine-harmonised/11934484 |title=Royal commission into bushfire crisis to examine climate change, harmonised approach to hazard reduction |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=6 February 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}} A number of organisations raised objections to the commission of inquiry, citing cost, length and the emotionally exhausting process;{{cite news |author=Tolhurst, Kevin |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-16/we-do-not-need-bushfire-royal-commission-this-is-why/11870824 |title=We have already had countless bushfire inquiries. What good will it do to have another? |work=The Conversation |location=Australia |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020 |via=ABC News (Australia)}} and that previous inquiries had failed to implement many of their recommendations.{{cite news |author=Marshall, Peter |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-last-thing-we-need-is-another-bushfire-royal-commission-20200117-p53sev.html |title=Opinion: The last thing we need is another bushfire royal commission |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=19 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}}{{cite news |author1=Snow, Deborah |author2=Smith, Alexandra |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why-shane-fitzsimmons-is-cold-on-a-royal-commission-into-bushfires-20200109-p53q5r.html |title=Why Shane Fitzsimmons is cold on a royal commission into bushfires |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=10 January 2020 |access-date=11 February 2020}} On 20 February 2020, Morrison released the letters patent confirming the establishment of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, chaired by Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AC}} (Retd), a former Chief of the Australian Defence Force, and supported by the Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AC|SC}} and Professor Andrew Macintosh, a specialist in climate risk and impact management.{{cite press release |author=Morrison, Scott |author-link=Scott Morrison |url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-royal-commission-black-summer-bushfires-established |title=National Royal Commission into Black Summer bushfires established |publisher=Prime Minister of Australia |date=20 February 2020 |access-date=20 February 2020}} The final report was published on 30 October 2020, and contained 80 recommendations across 21 topics.{{Cite web |title=Royal Commission publishes report |url=https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/royal-commission-publishes-report |website=Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements}}{{Cite web |title=List of recommendations |url=https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/html-report/list-of-recommendations |website=Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements}}{{Cite web |last=Woods |first=Chris |date=2020-11-01 |title=The Briefing: Bushfire Royal Commission emphatically warns of global warming, stops short of recommending emissions reduction |url=https://www.themandarin.com.au/143854-the-briefing-bushfire-royal-commission-emphatically-warns-of-global-warming-stops-short-of-recommending-emissions-reduction/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=The Mandarin |language=en-US}}

The term black summer has become a common term for the 2019{{ndash}}20 bushfire season, for example, the Australian Red Cross used this phrase as a blanket term for the fires.{{cite web |url=https://www.redcross.org.au/stories/emergency-services/recovering-from-the-bushfires-13-mar-2020 |title=Recovering from the bushfires: 13 Mar 2020 |location=Australia |date=13 March 2020 |access-date=16 March 2020}} An episode of Four Corners titled Black Summer comprised an audio-visual media collation of material provided by people impacted by bushfires and was broadcast in early February 2020.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-03/inside-the-australian-bushfires-crisis/11890458 |title=Black Summer |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=3 February 2020 |author1=Day, Lauren |author2=Nicholls, Sean |author3=Gartry, Laura |author4=Piper, Georgina |author5=Byrd, Joshua |access-date=4 February 2020}} The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, in an address to the Australian Parliament labelled the bushfire season as the black summer as he outlined a proposal to establish a royal commission into the bushfires:{{cite news |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/scott-morrison-moves-to-set-up-royal-commission-into-black-summer-bushfires |title=Scott Morrison moves to set up royal commission into 'Black Summer' bushfires |work=SBS News |location=Australia |date=4 February 2020 |access-date=4 February 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/bushfire-tributes-to-dominate-parliament/news-story/4fadbea1b237efc26cd082ed710b04ab |title='Black Summer' of bushfire devastation: PM |work=The Australian |date=4 February 2020 |author1=Gredley, Rebecca |access-date=4 February 2020}}

{{blockquote|These fires are yet to end and danger is still before us in many, many places, but today we gather to mourn, honour, reflect and begin to learn from the black summer that continues.|Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, 4 February 2020.}}

Philanthropists, corporate organisations, celebrities, and sportspeople donated to various fundraising appeals for bushfire victims and firefighters; estimated to total A$500 million (US$345 million) as of 19 January 2020.{{cite news |author1=Cuthburtson, Debbie |author2=Irvine, Jessica |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/bushfire-donations-near-500-million-as-watchdogs-put-charities-on-notice-20200117-p53sg5.html |title=Bushfire donations near $500 million as watchdogs put charities on notice |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=19 January 2020 |access-date=26 January 2020}} Following a representative sample, a report issued by the Fundraising Institute of Australia estimated that 53 percent of all adult Australians donated to a bushfire appeal.{{cite web |author=More Strategic |url=https://files.constantcontact.com/d002847d001/82c7b080-4d03-4c72-8773-21bd187b9e4e.pdf |title=Public Attitudes to Bushfire Fundraising |publisher=Fundraising Institute of Australia |date=January 2020 |access-date=26 January 2020 |page=7}}

Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola, donated A$70 million;{{Cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/mining-magnate-andrew-forrest-announces-70-million-for-bushfire-recovery-and-long-term-resilience-20200109-p53q38.html |title=Andrew Forrest clarifies climate change stance after $70 million bushfire donation |first=Hamish |last=Hastie |date=9 January 2020 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald }} and the Paul Ramsay Foundation donated A$30 million. In November, James Packer pledged {{AUD}}1 million to support the NSWRFS. As the impact of the bushfire season spread, the Crown Resorts Foundation and the Packer family Foundation pledged a further {{AUD}}4 million to volunteer fire services in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia – all states in which Crown has resorts.{{cite news |author=Jackson, Steve |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/james-packer-to-donate-5m-to-australias-bushfire-crisis/news-story/aaae6a0d73b2dd866a89d0c7c2599250 |title=James Packer to donate $5m to Australia's bushfire crisis |work=The Australian |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020}} The Murdoch family donated A$5 million; the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, A$1.5 million; and donations of A$1 million each were received from the Pratt Foundation, John and Pauline Gandel, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Scott Farquhar, and the Haines and the Perich families. Justin Hemmes donated A$500,000.

Corporate organisations to make donations or pledges included the Seven Group and Kerry Stokes' private investment firm, ACE Capital Equity, a combined total of A$10 million;{{cite news |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/seven-group-holdings-ace-announce-10-million-bushfire-relief-donation-c-650133 |title=Seven Group Holdings, ACE announce $10 million bushfire relief donation |work=Seven Network |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=16 January 2020}}{{self-published inline|date=January 2020}} Tim Cook from Apple, an undisclosed amount;{{cite news |author=Cunningham, Melissa |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/billionaire-philanthropists-donate-1m-to-bushfire-emergency-response-20191227-p53n4b.html |title=Billionaire philanthropists, Apple donate to bushfire emergency response |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=27 December 2019 |access-date=6 January 2020}} the NAB and News Corp Australia, A$5 million each; Coles Group, A$4 million (of which A$3 million was in gift cards); the Australian Football League, A$2.5 million; BHP, A$2 million; Westpac and Woolworths, A$1.5 million each; Facebook, A$1.25 million; and Amazon, the ANZ Bank, the Atlassian Foundation, the Commonwealth Bank, Orica, Qantas, and Rio Tinto, A$1 million each; and Canva and the San Diego Zoo, A$500,000 each.

Leonardo DiCaprio donated {{USD}}3 million ({{AUD}}3.4 million) via Earth Alliance; Kylie Jenner, {{USD}}1 million; Ellen DeGeneres, A$1.5 million; and donations of A$1 million were received from Sir Elton John and Chris Hemsworth and family.{{cite web |last1=Bond |first1=Nick |title=Chris Hemsworth announces giant bushfire donation |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/chris-hemsworth-announces-giant-bushfire-donation/news-story/9986d950d17386b47d321f110ef8d6fa |website=news.com.au |access-date=7 January 2020 |date=7 January 2020}} Pink donated US$500,000 ({{AUD}}720,000), tweeting that she is "totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now."{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/Pink/status/1213350834672586752 |title=I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. |author=P!nk |author-link=P!nk |date=4 January 2020 |publisher=Twitter |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{Primary source inline|date=May 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/pnk-pledges-500000-toward-australian-bushfire-crisis-relief-c-632682 |title=P!nk pledges $500,000 toward Australian bushfire crisis relief |last=Olle |first=Emily |date=4 January 2020 |website=7news.com.au |publisher=Seven News}} Metallica donated {{AUD}}750,000; and donations of {{AUD}}500,000 were received from Nicole Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban,{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/entertainment/nicole-kidman-keith-urban-australia-fires-trnd/index.html |title=Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are donating $500,000 to help fight bushfires in Australia |author=Chavez, Nicole |publisher=CNN }} Kylie and Dannii Minogue and their family,{{cite news |author=Quaggin, Lucy |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/australia-bushfires-kylie-minogue-donates-500000-to-firefighting-efforts--c-635181 |title=Australia bushfires: Kylie Minogue donates $500,000 to firefighting efforts |work=7 News |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020}} and Bette Midler.{{cite news |author1=Estera, Christine |author2=Maloon, Natacha |url=https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/australian-bushfires-celebrities-donate-social-media/f96143f4-5096-42b4-881e-48985a269903 |title=Australian bushfires: Stars donate to fires devastating the country |work=celebrity.nine.com.au |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=8 January 2020}} The Wiggles performed a concert on 17 and 18 January,{{Cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/the-wiggles-original-members-to-reunite-for-bushfire-fundraising-gig-c-634959 |title=Wiggles bushfire relief reunion concerts sell out in five minutes |date=6 January 2020 |website=7news.com.au}} and on 16 February at Stadium Australia in Sydney, the Fire Fight Australia concert featured local and international acts.{{cite news |author=Cockburn, Paige |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-13/bushfire-relief-concert-lineup-announced/11862106 |title=Queen, Alice Cooper, Olivia Newton-John lead Fire Fight bushfire relief concert line-up |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=13 January 2020 |access-date=13 January 2020}}{{cite news |author=McCabe, Kathy |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/bushfiresupport/fire-fight-australia-russell-crowe-to-present-tribute-olivia-newtonjohn-to-sing-with-john-farnham/live-coverage/3d07607a64c3506206db1e73ec91c4de |title=Fire Fight Australia: Live updates from the concert |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=16 February 2020 |access-date=16 February 2020}} The Down to Earth benefit concert raised over A$1 million and featured performances from Angus & Julia Stone, Tash Sultana, Gang Of Youths, and others.{{Cite web |last=Elvish |first=Emily |date=2020-03-02 |title=Down To Earth concert raises over $1 million for Bushfire relief |url=https://happymag.tv/down-to-earth-concert-raises-over-1-million-for-bushfire-relief/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Happy Mag |language=en-US}}

Tennis players, led by Nick Kyrgios, pledged to donate money for every ace served during the Australian summer of tennis.{{Cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/that-was-all-i-was-thinking-about-kyrgios-steps-up-for-fire-relief-in-winning-start-20200103-p53oot.html |title='That was all I was thinking about': Kyrgios steps up for fire relief in winning start |first=Phil |last=Lutton |date=3 January 2020 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald }} Many cricket players, such as international representatives Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Renshaw and Fawad Ahmed pledged to donate money for every wicket and/or six during the remainder of the Australian cricket season.{{Cite news |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/australia-bushfires-fundraisers-cricket-news/news-story/052959a3581a23ea890726e6cd8e88ba |title=Support floods in as more cricket stars pledge backing for fire efforts |access-date=12 January 2020 |author=Rayson, Zac |work=Fox Sports Australia |date=4 January 2020}} Shane Warne and Jeff Thomson, retired Australian cricketers, donated their baggy green Test cricket caps and Thomson also donated a playing vest for online auction. Warne's cap was purchased by the Commonwealth Bank{{efn|It appears that the purchase is in addition to the bank's A$1 million donation referred to above.}} with a bid of A$1,007,500;{{cite web |last1=Wu |first1=Andrew |author2=Mellis, Eilidh |title=Warne's baggy green cap sold for more than $1 million |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/warne-s-baggy-green-cap-sold-for-more-than-1-million-20200110-p53qay.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=10 January 2020 |date=10 January 2020}} and Russell Crowe's Rabbitohs cap was auctioned with a winning bid in excess of A$500,000.{{cite news |author1=Cuthbertson, Debbie |author2=Irvine, Jessica |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/bushfire-donations-near-500-million-as-watchdogs-put-charities-on-notice-20200117-p53sg5.html |title=Bushfire donations near $500 million as watchdogs put charities on notice |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=19 January 2020 |access-date=19 January 2020}} Footballer Mathew Ryan, goalkeeper for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Australia national team announced he'll donate $500 for every registered save by an English Premier League goalkeeper on the weekend of 11–12 January 2020.{{Cite web |author=Reid, Andrew |url=https://au.sports.yahoo.com/football-socceroos-brighton-goalkeeper-mat-ryan-bushfire-fundraiser-premier-league-saves-014706976.html |title='Outstanding humanity': Socceroo's extraordinary bushfire pledge |website=Yahoo Sport Australia |date=10 January 2020 |access-date=12 January 2020}} Australian stars who were playing in the 2019–20 NBA season collectively donated in excess of A$1 million; and Lewis Hamilton, a Formula One driver, donated {{USD}}500,000.{{cite web |title=Australian fires: Lewis Hamilton pledges more than £380,000 to aid fight against disaster |work=BBC Sport |date=9 January 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/51054445}}

Comedian Celeste Barber launched a fundraising appeal with a target of raising {{AUD}}15,000, however it went on to raise over {{AUD}}50 million, making it the largest fundraiser ever held on Facebook.{{Cite web |url=https://7news.com.au/technology/facebook/celeste-barbers-facebook-fundraising-total-of-50-million-breaks-world-record--c-642842 |title=Celeste Barber breaks world record as staggering bushfire donation total revealed |date=10 January 2020 |website=7news.com.au}} A telethon conducted with the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks raised more than {{AUD}}2 million.{{Cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/abc-new-year-s-eve-coverage-hosts-make-big-bang-worth-it-20200101-p53nzp.html |title=ABC New Year's Eve coverage: Hosts make big bang worth it |first=Neil |last=McMahon |date=31 December 2019 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald }}

Irish YouTuber Jacksepticeye raised over $200,000 on 26 January through a charity live stream.{{Cite news |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/26/youtuber-jacksepticeye-raises-200000-four-hours-australian-bushfires-12123822/ |title=YouTuber JackSepticEye raises $200,000 in under four hours for Australian fires |newspaper=Metro |date=26 January 2020}}

The German search engine Ecosia gave approximately {{€|19200|link=yes}} to Reforest New. They have given all the profits from 23 January 2020 to the Reforest New project. The trees are being planted in Byron Bay.

Multiple media outlets reported that the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission received 86 reports of bushfire-related scams. It came as increased requests for cash driven donations leveraging crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe, or as a result of false links posted on Twitter.{{cite web |author=Johnson, Paul |title=How Australians can protect themselves from bushfire appeal scammers |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-07/scammers-targeting-australians-for-bushfire-funds/11849998 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=8 January 2020}}{{cite web |title=Australia bushfire donations: Generous Aussies warned of increase in scammers |url=https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/australia-bushfire-donations-generous-aussies-warned-of-increase-in-scammers-c-635020 |website=7news.com.au |access-date=8 January 2020 |date=6 January 2020}} It prompted some organisations to provide a list of approved and vetted charities online to reduce fraud.{{cite twitter |user=middle_io |number=1213105866972360705 |name=middle.io |title=Australian Bushfire Crisis |date=4 January 2020 |access-date=4 January 2020}}{{cite web |title=Australian Bushfire Crisis |work=Official charity links |publisher=Middle Enterprises Pty Ltd |url=https://middle.io/fires |year=2020 |access-date=8 January 2020 |archive-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112053544/https://middle.io/fires |url-status=dead}}

In January 2020 a parliamentary inquiry into the NSW government's council grants scandal was expanded to scrutinise allegations of pork barrelling after it was revealed only $2.5 million of the $177 million first round relief fund was allocated to NSW Labor-held seats.{{cite web |author=Cormack, Lucy |title=New allegations of pork barrelling over a $177 million bushfire relief fund |url=https://smh.com.au/politics/nsw/new-allegations-of-pork-barrelling-over-a-177-million-bushfire-relief-fund-20210129-p56xuj.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=Australia |date=30 January 2020 |access-date=15 November 2021}} Although the practice is not illegal in Australia it has been widely perceived as a form of sanctioned corrupt conduct.{{cite web |author=O'Mallon, Finbar |title=Berejiklian says controversial grants program was pork barrelling |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/berejiklian-says-controversial-grants-program-was-pork-barrelling-20201126-p56i79 |work=Australian Financial Review|location=Australia |date=6 November 2020 |access-date=15 November 2021}}

• 2020s in political history
• 2020s in environmental history

{{portal|Australia}}

• Climate of Australia
• {{section link|Fire ecology|Australian eucalypt forests}}
• List of fires and impacts of the 2019-20 Australian bushfire season
• List of major bushfires in Australia
• List of natural disasters in Australia
• List of wildfires
• List of largest fires of the 21st-century
• {{section link|Wildfire|Prevention}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/particulates/surface/level/overlay=pm1/orthographic=134.35,-25.61/loc=134.35,-25.61 EarthWindMap] – Current global map of airborne particulates less than 1 micrometre in diameter, including smoke, centred on Australia
• [https://myfirewatch.landgate.wa.gov.au/ MyFireWatch] – Government of Western Australia site mapping fires and vegetation every 2–4 hours from satellite data
• {{cite web |last1=Fanner |first1=David |last2=Leaver |first2=Becca |last3=Ball |first3=Andy |last4=Evershed |first4=Nick |last5=Morton |first5=Adam |last6=Wahlquist |first6=Calla |last7=Cordell |first7=Marni |last8=Henriques-Gomes |first8=Luke |last9=Allam |first9=Lorena |last10=Corderoy |first10=Amy |last11=Cox |first11=Lisa |last12=Readfearn |first12=Graham |last13=Zhou |first13=Naaman |title=Counting the cost of the bushfires: Australia's summer of dread |website=The Guardian |display-authors=3 |date=February 2020 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2020/feb/11/counting-the-cost-of-australias-summer-of-dread}} A collection of articles, ahead of a new series entitled The frontline: inside Australia's climate emergency.
• [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/australia-bushfires-how-heat-and-drought-created-a-tinderbox/11976134 How heat and drought turned Australia into a tinderbox] ABC News (19 February 2020). Storyline covering events, with satellite imagery.

{{Clear}}

{{2019 wildfires}}

{{2020 wildfires}}

{{Bushfires in Australia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019-20 Australian bushfire season}}

Category:2019 disasters in Australia

Australian bushfire season

Category:2020 disasters in Australia

Australian bushfire season

Category:Bushfire seasons in Australia

Category:2020s in the Australian Capital Territory

Category:Climate change in Australia

Category:Climate change controversies

Category:2020 fires in Oceania

Category:2020s fires in Oceania

Category:2010s fires in Oceania