A series of bushfires in Australia occurred over the summer of 1996–1997. The most prominent fires during the season were in the Dandenong Ranges and the Mornington Peninsula in the state of Victoria.
| 1996–97 Australian bushfire season | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | October 1996 – January 1997 |
| Location | Australia |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 40 |
| Structures destroyed | 44+ |
Fires of note
| State | Start date | Deaths | Injuries | Houses lost | Area (ha) | Local govt. | Impacted communities & destruction | Duration | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Australia | 8 January 1997 | 16 | 10,500 ha (26,000 acres) | Mundaring | Wooroloo & Wundowie
| [1][2][3] | |||
| Victoria | 19 January 1997 | 2 | Mornington Peninsula | Mount Eliza
| 3 days | [4] | |||
| Victoria | 21 January 1997 | 3 | 20 | 41 | 3,700 ha (9,100 acres) | Yarra Ranges | Ferny Creek, Kalorama, Mount Dandenong & Upwey
| 2 days | [4][5][6][7][8][9] |
Timeline
October 1996
In October 1996, one house was destroyed in a bushfire near Ravensbourne in southeast Queensland.[10]
January 1997
From 19 to 21 January 1997, fires burnt over 400 hectares (about 990 acres) through much of the Dandenong Ranges and the Mornington Peninsula, precipitated by over forty-degree Celsius dry heat and strong northerly winds. Three people were killed and forty injured. Forty-three houses were destroyed and another 45 damaged.[11] Fires began at all locations except the Dandenongs on the 19th; the Dandenongs fires began on the morning of the 21st in the foothills of the western face of the ranges. It was suspected that the fires in the Dandenongs were deliberately lit.
The areas most affected by these fires included:[11]