2015 Esperance bushfires

2015 Esperance bushfires
Location Shire of Esperance
Coordinates 33°6′21″S 120°59′2″E / 33.10583°S 120.98389°E / -33.10583; 120.98389 (approximate ignition point of Cascades fire)
Statistics
Cost A$60–90 million[1][2]
Date(s) 15 November 2015 (2015-11-15) – 26 November 2015 (2015-11-26)
Burned area More than 310,000 hectares (766,000 acres)[3]
Cause Lightning[4]
Land use
  • Residential
  • Farmland
  • Forest reserves
Buildings
destroyed		 — 3 houses[5]
— 16 non-residential buildings[5]
Fatalities 4[3]

The 2015 Esperance bushfires were a series of catastrophic bushfires that burned from 15–26 November and affected the Goldfields-Esperance region in the Australian state of Western Australia. During the fires, the Shire of Esperance suffered two significant fires and a fire complex; 128,000 hectares (320,000 acres) were burnt by the Cascades fire, 18,000 hectares (44,000 acres) were burnt by the Merivale fire, and 164,000 hectares (410,000 acres) were burnt by the Cape Arid complex of fires.[3] On 17 November, during the major run of the Cascades fire, four civilian fatalities occurred in vehicles traveling on Griggs Road in Scaddan.[3][6][7][8][9][10][11] The Cascades fire remains the bushfire with the most recorded fatalities in Western Australian history.[Note 1][2]

The Cascades fire destroyed one house, 16 non-residential structures and dozens of vehicles in the communities of Grass Patch, Salmon Gums and Scaddan. There was also significant damage to rural produce; approximately 4,500 head of livestock died and 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop—constituting about 500,000 tonnes of grain—were burnt.[5][13][14] In addition, the Merivale fire destroyed 2 houses in Stockyard Creek, and the Cape Arid complex destroyed significant areas of Western Ground Parrot habitat—reportedly up to 90%—prompting discussion that the critically endangered parrot could "...become the first bird in at least 200 years to become extinct in Western Australia".[3][15][16][17]

Background

Agriculture is the predominant land use by area in the Shire of Esperance; between 1990 and 2000 the region witnessed an increase of 50% in the total cropped area and a decrease in the total area dedicated to livestock farming, the main crops produced are wheat, barley and canola.[18] Cropped areas are particularly combustible prior to harvest, and stubble is retained post harvest to reduce soil erosion, which maintains a combustible ground cover and increases fuel load in pre‐harvest fields.[19]

The Esperance region had above average winter rainfall in 2015, followed by an unusually dry and warm spring.[19] Salmon Gums Research Station, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Esperance town, reported its highest winter rainfall in 88 years; 91.2 millimetres (3.59 in) fell in August, the highest August total rainfall for at least 30 years.[19][20] Prior to the 2015 harvest, yields of up to 5 tonnes per hectare[Note 2] were reported in the Esperance district, which was estimated to be around 50% harvested at the time of the fires. This represented a 2015 harvest that was far above the 5 year average, even accounting for the "...hundreds of thousands of tonnes" of grain lost during the fire.[18][19][22]

Statewide average temperatures in Western Australia during October were +3.28°C above average and the highest on record, and rainfall was generally light across the Esperance region at 6–8 millimetres (0.24–0.31 in)[18][23] Temperature observations were similarly elevated in November, at +1.78°C above average and the second warmest on record.[24]

Predictions for the 2015-16 bushfire season

A strengthening El Niño–Southern Oscillation event across the Pacific Ocean and the warmer waters associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole, was expected to increase the severity and duration of the 2015-16 fire season in Western Australia, with the Goldfields-Esperance region in particular to experience "above normal fire potential" due to high fuel loads.[25][26]

Fire timeline

14–16 November

Over the weekend of 14–15 November, a trough system consisting of numerous thunderstorms moved in an easterly direction over southern Western Australia and lightning ignited fires across a large area.[27][28] At least 40 fires were recorded by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) on 15 November, including the Cascades fire, the Merivale fire, and the Cape Arid complex, which constituted three of the ten incidents recorded by the DFES in the Shire of Esperance.[29]

The Cascades fire ignited north of Pyramid Rd. and west of Ned's Corner Rd. on unallocated crown land south of Lake Mends in the North Cascades area.[30][31] Lightning from the same storm system also ignited the Merivale fire in the vicinity of Doombup Lake and Mullet Lake, 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Esperance town, and the Cape Arid complex of fires in the Gypsum Mine, Mount Ragged, and Thomas River areas of the northern part of Cape Arid National Park.[32][31][33]

The fires remained uncontained by dawn on 16 November and a bushfire advice message for North Cascade was issued by the DFES at 11:30 AWST (UTC+08:00), although there was no threat to lives or homes at the time.[34] Winds in the Cascades fire ground on 16 November were light to fresh breezes to from the south-south-east and relative humidity ranged from approximately 25–55%; conditions favorable to containment.[35] However, by the end of the day on 16 November, both the Cascades and Merivale fire remained uncontained and residents of 7 properties near the Merivale fire were advised to leave.[36]

At a briefing by the Bureau of Meteorology to the DFES on 16 November, a McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) rating of 250–260 was reportedly forecast for 17 November; described as "...worse than the day of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria that claimed 173 lives and injured some 5000 people".[37]

17 November

As anticipated, the Esperance region experienced catastrophic fire weather conditions on the afternoon of 17 November; McArthur Grassland Fire Danger Index recordings of 175 and 180—significantly above the threshold of 100 for "catastrophic" conditions—were recorded at Scaddan and Cascades respectively.[38] This resulted in an escalation of all three fires, including the major run of the Cascades fire.[38]

The passage of a low pressure system over the south-west of the state created winds of moderate gale to storm force from the north to west over the Shire of Esperance and all three fire zones, elevating the temperature to over 40 °C (104 °F) across most of the shire.[4][28] An extremely low relative humidity of 6% was observed at the Salmon Gums Research Station at 15:00 AWST (UTC+08:00), and a "storm force" wind gust of 93 kilometres per hour (58 mph) from the west-north-west was recorded at 15:37 AWST (UTC+08:00).[35] Winds were consistently 50–60 kilometres per hour (31–37 mph) during the afternoon, with frequent gusts up to 70–80 kilometres per hour (43–50 mph).[38]

As early as 6:30 AWST (UTC+08:00), farmers made calls to fire authorities with concerns about the height of flames in inaccessible areas close to properties in and around Cascades as the fire front expanded to at least 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).[37][39] During the morning, the Cascades and Merivale fires caused power outages in Esperance shire that affected at least 300 customers and also stopped mobile phone coverage.[40][41] Just prior to midday the Cascades fire jumped across fuel modification breaks—consisting of substantial pre‐existing scrub rolling and other fuel treatment—on the interface of crown land and private property. The fire moved rapidly once it had entered private property; during its major south–east run on the afternoon of 17 November, the Cascades fire is estimated to have spread at a rate of up to 15 kilometres per hour (9.3 mph), fueled by the heavy harvest fuel loads, and to have traveled approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) over a five hour period.[39] The Cascades fire is estimated to have reached a peak intensity of around 45,000kW/h, described by Nous Group as;

“ ...the hottest grassland fire in WA’s recorded history, and possibly in Australia’s recorded history.[39] ”

At 13:10 AWST (UTC+08:00) the DFES warning for the Cascades fire was upgraded to "watch and act", and the warning was reported by the Experance Express within the hour, however an "emergency warning" was not issued for the fire until 17:50 AWST (UTC+08:00), some two hours after the fire impacted Griggs Rd., 50–60 kilometres (31–37 mi) from the point of ignition. All four civilians fatalities from the Cascades fire occurred at approximately 15:50 AWST (UTC+08:00) when the fire front impacted Griggs Rd. between Cascade and Scaddan.[6][9][10][42][43]

The Cascades fire crossed the Coolgardie–Esperance Highway at approximately 17:50 AWST (UTC+08:00) and impacted the community of Scaddan, where the majority of structural damage occurred.[43] By mid–evening, between 100 and 150 people from Scaddan and Grass Patch had evacuated to Salmon Gums Recreation Centre, and at approximately 22:00 AWST (UTC+08:00) the area under threat was expanded to include Red Lake and Salmon Gums.[6]

On 17 November, the Merivale fire also moved rapidly in a south–east direction, and DFES warnings were upgraded to "watch and act" level at 11:55 AWST (UTC+08:00). Property damage did not occur until the wind shifted the direction of fire spread to north–east at approximately 18:00 AWST (UTC+08:00); two houses were destroyed in the Stockyard Creek area during the night.[15][44]

18–26 November

Winds in the Cascades fire ground on 18 November again returned to gentle to moderate breezes from the north to west and relative humidity ranged from approximately 30–40%.[35] Although no rainfall was recorded until 24 November, the low winds and temperatures of 25–32 °C (77–90 °F) meant that the Cascades fire was largely stationary and the Merivale fire was spreading slowly, yet erratically.[15][35]

At approximately midday on 19 November, the warning for the Cascade fire was once again upgraded to emergency level for the areas west of the Coolgadie-Esperance Highway in the communities of Grass Patch and Salmon Gums.[45] The warning was downgraded to "watch and act" at approximately 15:00 AWST (UTC+08:00) with no further injury or serious damage to property, although the perimeter of the fire had expanded to 214 kilometres (133 mi).[45][46] An "all clear" advice message was issued for the Cascades fire on the afternoon of 25 November.[5]

Residential areas were again threatened by the Merivale fire on 22 November, when it broke containment lines under the influence of a wind change.[32]

At least 200 firefighters and volunteers from the WA Bush Fire Brigade, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, Volunteer Fire and Emergency Service, Parks and Wildlife service, and DFES assisted in fighting the fires during their 12 day duration.[32]

Aftermath

Fatalities

The four civilians who died in the Cascades fire were identified on 19 November;[9][10][42]

The three foreign nationals, who had been employed at Karranga farm, died in the same vehicle while fleeing to Esperance town. The bodies were discovered in a vehicle with a horse float, containing the remains of the horse "Cougar", only a few kilometers from the property the trio were working at.[50] Curnow also died in his vehicle while driving door-to-door to warn neighbors about the approaching fire front.[9][10][6][11]

Damage assessment

The Cascades fire destroyed one house, 16 non-residential structures and dozens of vehicles in the communities of Grass Patch, Salmon Gums and Scaddan. In addition, the Merivale fire destroyed 2 houses in Stockyard Creek.[15] Roads and utilities infrastructure was also damaged within the fire ground; the destruction of 320 power poles and hundreds of kilometers of power lines caused a week long power outage for 400 residents in the region.[51]

The fires caused significant damage to rural produce and the harvest was delayed for at least a week as grains handler CBH Group closed its Esperance grain terminal and shut six grain storage sites.[2] Approximately 4,500 head of livestock died and 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop—constituting an estimated 500,000 tonnes of grain—were destroyed by both the fire and the strong north-westerly winds experienced on 17 November.[5][13][14][52] The winds resulted in significant yield loss due to pod shatter in canola and head loss[Note 3] in both barley and wheat; barley head loss in the order of 1.5 to over 2 tonnes per hectare was observed in many areas of Esperance shire.[52] A forecast yield of over 3 million tonnes was reduced to 2.5 million, with wheat comprising the majority of produce lost in the fires and winds.[54]

The Cape Arid complex of fires destroyed significant areas—reportedly up to 90%—of the remaining Western Ground Parrot habitat within Cape Arid National Park.[3][16][17] Much of the habitat had already been burned by a bushfire in Cape Arid National Park during October of the same year.[16] Prior to the fires, there were believed to be only 140 individual parrots living in the wild, and the number was estimated to have been reduced to only 30–40 as a result of the damage caused by the fires.[16][17] The widespread destruction of dense vegetation the ground-dwelling birds rely on for nesting prompted discussion that the critically endangered parrot could "...become the first bird in at least 200 years to become extinct in Western Australia".[16][17] Two parrots—a male and a female—were rescued from the Cape Arid fire ground and taken to Perth Zoo for inclusion in a captive breeding program, however both birds died in captivity.[55][56]

Aid and relief

On 21 November, the Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan, and the Premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett, jointly announced that disaster assistance pursuant to the Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) had been activated for those affected by fire in the Shire of Esperance.[57] Victims were eligible for personal hardship and distress assistance, personal and financial counseling, interest rate subsidies for small businesses and primary producers, and freight subsidies for primary producers.[58]

The lord mayor of Perth established a "Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund" to accept donations that would be distributed to the victims of the fires; donations to the fund included A$250,000 from CBH Group, A$100,000 from the WA state government, A$25,000 from BankWest, A$25,000 from Aurizon, and A$10,000 from the City of Bunbury.[59][60][61] Over A$1 million was raised by the appeal.[62]

In response to the concerns about communication failures during the fires, the construction of two mobile phone towers—in the Grass Patch and Salmon Gums townships respectively—was expedited by the Shire of Esperance.[63]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A bushfire in Boorabbin National Park, which claimed the lives of three truckers on 30 December 2007 as they passed a road block on the Great Eastern Highway, was the previous bushfire with the greatest number of fatalities in Western Australia.[12]
  2. ↑ The yield was significantly higher than the average of 1–2 tonnes per hectare recorded in Western Australia most years between 2005 and 2014.[21]
  3. ↑ Head loss is when the straw of plants may remain standing but breakage immediately under the head occurs and the heads fall to the ground, reducing grain yields.[53]

References

  1. ↑ le Messurier, Danielle (19 November 2015). "Esperance bushfires: Damage bill for crop losses ‘in excess of $60m’". Perth Now (Sunday Times). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Sprague, Julie-Anne (19 November 2015). "WA bushfires claim lives, crops". farmweekly.com.au (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nous Group 2016, p. 9
  4. 1 2 "2015/16 Wandrra Eligible Disaster Proclamation Notification". ARGN688 Bushfires Esperance - 15 November 2015 (Department of the Premier and Cabinet). 22 December 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Nous Group 2016, p. 22
  6. 1 2 3 4 Corridon, Sarah (17 November 2015). "Two men and two women among fire victims, two more feared dead in Esperance bushfires". Esperance Express (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Esperance fires: Partner pays tribute to British man killed in Esperance fires". Kalgoorlie Miner (Yahoo 7). 19 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Esperance bushfire victim's sister says he was "living the dream"". Esperance Express (Fairfax Media). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Bennett, Mark; Powell, Graeme (20 November 2015). "WA bushfires: Foreign workers die trying to flee farm, save horse in Esperance bushfires". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Esperance bushfires: European workers killed trying to flee blaze named by police". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  11. 1 2 Butler, Bruce; le Messurier, Danielle (18 November 2015). "Esperance bushfire: Four dead in raging inferno". Perth Now (The Sunday Times). Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  12. ↑ Phillips, Liam; Sapienza, Joseph (21 November 2009). "Bushfire controller to escape punishment". WA Today (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Esperance bushfire damage toll rising". 9news.com.au. AAP. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  14. 1 2 Tomlin, Sam (29 March 2016). "Esperance bushfire investigation finds region poorly resourced against 'unstoppable' fires". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Nous Group 2016, p. 20
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Shine, Rhiannon (30 November 2015). "Fears for rare western ground parrot after Esperance fires destroy 90 per cent of habitat". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Rhiannon Shine; Sam Tomlin (22 January 2016). "Western ground parrot 'facing extinction' after devastating Esperance bushfires". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 Crop Report. Bentley DC: Grain Industry Association of Western Australia. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Nous Group 2016, p. 11
  20. ↑ "Salmon Gums, Western Australia; August 2015 Daily Weather Observations". bom.gov.au. Bureau of Meteorology (Australian Government). Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  21. ↑ "Grain Yearbook" (PDF). Australian Grain (Toowoomba, Queensland: Greenmount Press) 24 (7): 29. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  22. ↑ de Landgrafft, Tara (23 November 2015). "Fires and hot, windy weather cut expected crop estimates in Esperance port zone this harvest". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  23. ↑ Bureau of Meteorology 2015a, pp. 7–8
  24. ↑ Bureau of Meteorology 2015b, pp. 7–8
  25. ↑ "Challenging bushfire season expected for Western Australia". dfes.wa.gov.au (Department of Fire and Emergency Services). 1 September 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2015-16". Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centres Programme. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Government. September 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  27. ↑ Nous Group 2016, p. 12
  28. 1 2 Bureau of Meteorology 2015b, p. 5
  29. ↑ Nous Group 2016, pp. 12–13
  30. ↑ Nous Group 2016, p. 14
  31. 1 2 Scott, Matthew (27 November 2015). "Local Recovery Committee; Esperance Fires". Special Council Notice of Meeting and Agenda (PDF). Shire of Esperance. p. 14. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  32. 1 2 3 "Esperance devastation – a warning for the season ahead". Department of Fire and Emergency Services (Government of Western Australia). 30 November 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  33. ↑ Anderson, Alyesha (18 November 2015). "WA bushfires: Shire of Esperance facing ‘catastrophic’ fire danger". Perth Now (Sunday Times). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  34. ↑ "Bushfire Advice: North Cascade in the Shire of Esperance, WA". Early Warning Network (Department of Fire and Emergency Services). 16 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "Salmon Gums, Western Australia; November 2015 Daily Weather Observations". bom.gov.au. Bureau of Meteorology (Australian Government). Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  36. ↑ Nous Group 2016, p. 15
  37. 1 2 Bartlett, Liam (28 November 2015). "Now is the time to answer questions over Esperance fire". Perth Now (Sunday Times). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  38. 1 2 3 Nous Group 2016, pp. 17–18
  39. 1 2 3 Nous Group 2016, p. 19
  40. ↑ Martin, Lucy (9 December 2015). "Malcolm Turnbull meets bushfire volunteers as Esperance community comes to terms with its loss". ABC Radio "PM" (Podcast). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Event occurs at 18:30:32. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  41. ↑ "Esperance bush fires cause black outs for power customers". Esperance Express (Fairfax Media). 17 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  42. 1 2 Powell, Graeme (23 November 2015). "Esperance fire victims' families to travel from Europe to see where loved ones perished". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  43. 1 2 Nous Group 2016, p. 18
  44. ↑ Corridon, Sarah (17 November 2015). "Esperance bushfires: 100kmh winds spark 'catastrophic fire danger' warning". WA Today (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  45. 1 2 "Update: Watch and Act remains for Grass Patch and Salmon Gums". Esperance Express (Fairfax Media). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  46. ↑ Carter, Lucy (19 November 2015). "Esperance fires: 'Race against time' before worsening weekend conditions". ABC AM (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  47. ↑ Foster, Brendan (19 November 2015). "Esperance fires: Norwegian woman Anna Winther, 29, killed in firestorm". WA Today (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  48. ↑ Guardian Staff (20 November 2015). "Esperance bushfire: British man, Norwegian student and farmer among dead". The Guardian (Guardian News and Media). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  49. ↑ Macfarlane, Kristin (19 November 2015). "Esperance farmer 'an icon'". farmweekly.com.au (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  50. ↑ Bell, Kelly; Clarke, Tim (20 November 2015). "Esperance fires: Bushfire casualty died for the love of a horse". The West Australian (Yahoo7). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  51. ↑ Pickles, Saskia (10 March 2016). "Esperance bushfire victims go solar". businessnews.com.au (Business News). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  52. 1 2 "January–February" (PDF). Australian Grain (Toowoomba, Queensland: Greenmount Press) 25 (5): 50–52. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  53. ↑ Hills, Andrea. "Barley straw strength and head loss". sepwa.org.au. South East Premium Wheat Growers Association. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  54. ↑ Curtis, Niki (December 2015). "EPZ Harvest Update". SEPWA Newsletter (South East Premium Wheat Growers Association) (77): 2. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  55. ↑ Jorgensen, Cari (3 December 2015). "90 Percent of Western Ground Parrot Habitat Destroyed By Fire In Australia". BirdChannel. I-5 Publishing. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  56. ↑ Shine, Rhiannon (6 January 2016). "Perth Zoo's western ground parrot breeding program suffers setback after death of two birds". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  57. ↑ "Disaster assistance for bushfire affected communities in Esperance, Western Australia". Minister for Justice, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter-Terrorism. Attorney-General's Department (Commonwealth of Australia). 21 December 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  58. ↑ "WA—Esperance Bushfire (15 November 2015)". Australian Government Disaster Assist. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  59. ↑ le Messurier, Daniel (20 November 2015). "Esperance bushfires: Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi opens Distress Relief Fund for affected families". Perth Now (Sunday Times). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  60. ↑ "City of Bunbury to donate $10k for Esperance fires". Esperance Express (Fairfax Media). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  61. ↑ "Aurizon donates $25,000 to the Esperance Fire Appeal". aurizon.com.au (Aurizon). 26 November 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  62. ↑ Leach, Daniel (13 January 2016). "Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund update". radiowest.com.au (Radio West). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  63. ↑ Parker, Basil (15 December 2015). "Infrastructure and Buildings". Local Recovery Committee Newsletter (PDF). Shire of Esperance. Retrieved 6 May 2016.

Bibliography

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