Research undertaken by Luke and McArthur (1978)¹ indicates that South Australia can expect to experience serious fires somewhere in the State in six or seven years out of every ten.

1917 to 1945

Data on fire occurrence before World War 2 in South Australia is not comprehensive but summarised newspaper reports from that time indicate that for the period between 1917 to 1945 there were forty-four (44) fires recorded in South Australia. The most widespread fires occurred in 1933-34, 1938-39 and I943-44. In each of these seasons significant damage was experienced in south-east districts, in or near the Adelaide Hills, and on Eyre Peninsula.

Forty-three (43) of these fires occurred between December and March; four (4) in December, eleven (11) in January, twelve (12) in February and sixteen (16) in March.

1950s

During December 1951 fires caused by lightning burnt about 450,000 ha in the eastern and north-eastern pastoral districts. A contributing factor to the extent of these fires were high fuel loads resulting from above average rainfall earlier in the year. Losses of stock, feed and fencing were heavy.

The next widespread fire, known as 'Black Sunday', occurred in the Adelaide Hills on 2 January 1955. Extreme fire weather conditions were recorded in Adelaide during the morning and afternoon, followed by a strong south-westerly change. Two fire fighters lost their lives and damage, spread over a total area of at least 40,000 ha, was estimated at $4,000,000.

The relatively mild 1957-58 fire season was followed by a dry autumn during which, in April 1958, eight fire fighters lost their lives in a pine plantation fire in the south-east.

Towards the end of the I950s rainfall was above average in many districts; conse­quently a number of large fires occurred from 1959 to 1961. In 1959 there were two major fires; one near Kongorong, in the south-east, covered 28,000 ha. It caused damage estimated at about $1,500,000, and cost the life of a grazier. The second fire burnt about 76,000 ha of grassland and scrub near Wudinna, on the Eyre Peninsula.

1960s

During 1960, damage estimated at $388,000 occurred when a fire burnt an estimated 6,000 ha in northern Yorke Peninsula. Two other major fires occurred that year; one near Wirrabara, in the Flinders Ranges, with damage estimated at $20,000 in an area of 8,000 ha; and the other near Tintinara where 100,000 ha of pasture and scrub were burnt.

In 1961 a fire in pastoral country burnt a large area near the Wilpena Pound, in the northern Flinders Ranges.

The next major fires occurred in 1968-69. A fire in the pastoral area in the Far North West of the State burnt an area of about 900,000 ha. This was followed by a fire burning about 8,000 ha near Murdinga, in the Eyre Peninsula, where damage amounted to $140,000.

1970s

Luke and McArthur (1978) report that from July 1966 to June 1972 the average number of fires attended annually in South Australia was about 900. The total area burnt by these fires each year averaged 190,000 ha, ranging from 15,000 ha to 900,000 ha depending on the fire season. The estimates of financial loss ranged from $38,000 to $245,000 with an average of $210,000.

Huge areas of arid and semi-arid pastoral country were burnt in 1974-75. The area burnt has been estimated at 16 million hectares; 3 million hectares of pastoral country and 13 million hectares of unoccupied land. A large proportion of the north-west of the State was burnt during the period from early November until early in February.

Fire report summaries included in the CFS annual reports from 1978 and 1979 refer to 4 major fires during the 1978-79 fire season; 1,000 ha at Yadlanue Station and 1,200 ha at Wilmington in December 1978, 1,100 ha at Pinnaroo in January 1979 and 7,400 ha at Caveton in February 1979. A 480 ha fire was also reported at Meningie in December 1979.

1980s

Fire report summaries included in the CFS annual reports from the 1980s refer to 40 major fires during the decade. The most significant of which were the Ash Wednesday I and II fires which occurred in February 1980 and February 1983. The focus on the devastation of these fires however tends to draw attention away from the fact that during the 1980s there were over 830,000 ha burnt. Ten (10) fires, predominantly in the sparsely populated north east of the state, were in excess of 10,000 ha each. One, attributed to 43 lightning strikes in the pastoral area in November 1989, was estimated to be in excess of 600,000 ha.

Fires that posed a threat to settled areas during the 1980s were; Ash Wednesday I (3,770 ha - February 1980); Horsnell Gully (400ha - April 1980); Ash Wednesday II (February 1983); Black Hill (1,500 ha - January 1985); Pt Lincoln (200 ha - February 1985); Kapunda (1,200 ha - March 1986); Strathalbyn (6,000 ha - November 1987); Kapunda (2,569 ha - December 1987); Morialta (300 ha - January 1988); and Kersbrook (400 ha - March 1988).

1990s

Fire report summaries included in the CFS annual reports and from CFS incident reports from the 1990s refer to 70 major fires during the decade. Seven (7) fires, predominantly in the sparsely populated north east of the state, were in excess of 10,000 ha each. The largest fires recorded were; Ernabella (900,000 ha - January 1990); Flinders Chase (25,000 ha - October 1991); Ngarkat (50,000 ha - January 1999); and Ngarkat (110,000 ha - January 1999).

Three significant fires that posed a threat to settled areas during the 1990s were; Clare (400 ha - April 1994); Rapid Bay (300 ha - January 1995); Heathfield (450 ha - January 1995).

2000s

Fire report summaries included in the CFS annual reports and from CFS incident reports from the first 3 years of the decade until the end of 2003 refer to 53 major fires. Four (4) fires, predominantly in the sparsely populated pastoral areas of the state, were in excess of 6,000 ha each. The largest fires recorded were; Mount Rescue (18,000 ha - November 2002); Gawler Ranges (15,000 ha - December 2002); De Molle River (6,800 ha - November 2002); and Ngarkat (6,000 ha - December 2001).

Three significant fires that posed a threat to settled areas during the first 3 years of the new century were; Brownhill Creek (1,000 ha - June 2000; Rapid Bay (1,200 ha - January 2001); Hillbank (350 ha - December 2001); and Morphett Vale (300 ha - December 2003).

¹Luke, R.H and McArthur, A.G. (1978) Bushfires in Australia Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra