What Causes Bushfires on Public Land in Victoria?
Fire cause statistics | Bushfires and Lightning | Campfires & BBQs | Machinery and Equipment | Burning Off on Private Land
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is responsible for the care and management of public land and other natural resources in Victoria. DSE Fire Management has responsibility for the prevention and suppression of bushfires on public land and includes National Parks, State forests and other protected public land. These areas of public land cover approximately 7 million hectares, or around one third of Victoria.
Approximately 600 bushfires occur on public land in Victoria each year. The causes of bushfires can be placed into two groups: natural causes and those caused by human activities.
Natural Causes
Lightning strikes are the cause of virtually all naturally occurring bushfires. Approximately 26% of all bushfires on public land are started by lightning strikes. There are, on average, more fires started by lightning than any other individual cause.
On January 7, 2003 lightning associated with thunderstorms across eastern Victoria and southern NSW was responsible for starting over 80 fires in Victoria and more than 40 fires in NSW and the ACT. These fires lead to the Alpine fires, Victoria's largest bushfires since 1939 that burnt over 1 million hectares of land, approximately 5% of Victoria.
In late November 1997 over 100 fires in East Gippsland were ignited by lightning within a 24-hour period. a
Human Activities
All other bushfires on public land are started as a result of human activity - approximately 74% of all bushfires on public land are caused by people. These include both deliberate and accidental ignitions. Some examples of human caused fire are discussed below.
Campfires
On average, campfires cause approximately 10% of the bushfires that start on public land. These bushfires burn, on average, around 1,500 ha of public land each year. Most of these fires start when the campfire is left unattended or not properly extinguished. In 1994, a bushfire caused by an unattended campfire burnt 14,500 ha near Ballarat. A campfire was also suspected to have started a fire in 1998 that burnt 32,000 ha in the Alpine region of Victoria. For more information see Campfires & BBQs.
Burning Off / Agricultural Burns
Farmers may burn vegetation on their properties for a variety of reasons including weed control, burning of crop debris and the removal of rubbish. Agricultural burns can accidentally spark fires on public land. These fires cause over 15% of bushfires on average each year. Unattended burns are most likely to ‘escape’ and become bushfires. On average, agricultural escapes burn approximately 8,000 ha of public land each year. For more information see Burning Off on Private Land.
Equipment/ Machinery
Any equipment or machinery that generates heat or sparks is a potential cause of bushfires. Examples of such machinery include chainsaws, slashers, welders, grinders, and exhaust from vehicles. On average, fires originating from equipment or machinery burn approximately 2,500 ha of public land each year. For more information see Equipment / Machinery fires.
Deliberate
This category includes all fires which are deliberately lit and develop into bushfires on public land. Examples include children playing with matches or experimenting with fire, farmers deliberately lighting fires without necessary permits or authority or maliciously lit fires (fires lit with an intent to damage or destroy property).
