2013 Tasmanian bushfires
| 2013 Tasmanian bushfires | |
|---|---|
Fires at Forcett/Copping on 4 January | |
| Date(s) | January 2013 |
| Location | Central Highlands, East coast (Bicheno), Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas, Tasmania, Australia |
| Coordinates | 41°52′S 148°17′E / 41.867°S 148.283°E |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) |
| Land use | Mixed, residential and national parks |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1 firefighter |
| Non-fatal injuries | Unknown |
| Structures destroyed | At least 170 (including 30 homes) |
| Damage | c. A$69 million |
| Ignition | |
| Cause |
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Locations of the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires in Tasmania
The 2013 Tasmanian bushfires were a series of bushfires which occurred in south-eastern Tasmania, Australia, between November 2012 and late April 2013. The fires burnt approximately 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) of mixed resident land and native forest.
It was predicted early on that the 2012-13 fire season had the potential to be worse than usual. High fuel loads coupled with dry, hot and windy conditions pointed to potential danger. The Tasmania Fire Service implemented a media campaign intended to increase community preparedness and awareness of what to do if bushfires threatened, however, nobody predicted that the fire season would last for almost 6 months, a duration unprecedented in recorded Tasmanian history.