Fire disasters in Australia 1945 - 1975.

Conflagration fires have always been part of the Australian environment and occur whenever there is a favourable combination of fuel, weather and ignition source. The role of these factors in past conflagrations is discussed, and likely changes in the future are anticipated. A chronology of major fire seasons is listed for various parts of Australia by meteorological districts and some of the most severe fire seasons and the major fires are discussed briefly with reference to the areas burnt and the damage to life and property. A common characteristic of all disaster fires is that the period when the fire exhibits violent behaviour and when most damage occurs is relatively short and generally less than 8 hours, although it is possible that these periods can recur in close succession. The frequency of fires burning large areas in Australia over the review period ranges from once every 3 years in coastal districts of New South Wales and eastern Victoria to less than once every 30 years in central Australia. Likely changes in the patterns of large fire frequency and in the nature and intensity of disaster fires are discussed. Forest fires are likely to decrease in frequency and intensity but rural fires may become more destructive in the future