2014–15 Australian bushfire season
The bushfire season in the summer of 2014–15, was expected to have the potential for many fires in eastern Australia after lower than expected rainfall was received in many areas. Authorities released warnings in the early spring that the season could be particularly bad.
| 2014–15 Australian bushfire season | |
|---|---|
NASA MODIS burned area detections from June 2014 to May 2015 | |
| Date(s) | Winter (June) 2014 – Autumn (May) 2015 |
| Location | Australia |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1 CFS volunteer firefighter |
| Non-fatal injuries | 139 |
| Structures destroyed | 210+ total
|
Warmer and drier weather conditions were experienced during winter and extended into 2015, due to a developing El Niño event. Sydney was on track to record its hottest autumn so far and only had one fifth of the average rainfall in May. Adelaide recorded sixteen consecutive days of 20 °C (68 °F) in May 2014.
Queensland sweltered through a heatwave, with record October temperatures being set in many towns through the state. New October records included Toowoomba with 36.4 °C (97.5 °F), St George with 42.6 °C (108.7 °F), Amberley with 41.3 °C (106.3 °F) and Roma with 41.6 °C (106.9 °F).
Throughout 2014 and the first 6 months of 2015, 18 fires were declared "national disasters" affecting a total of 68 local government areas across New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory.