Approximately 1.5 million hectares in Victoria were burnt with most of the fire activity occurring late December 2019 and early January 2020. This project aims to provide a detailed record and data archive of the major fires that occurred in the 2019/20 season to improve understanding of the Black Summer crisis and create a detailed record and data archive of the major fires that occurred in Victoria during the season.

The case study fires will include: Upper Murray 26 – Upper Murray – Walwa; Tambo 35 – Tambo Complex (includes: W Tree – Yalmy, Marthavale – Barmouth Spur, Ensay – Ferntree Creek and Bruthen – Six Mile Track); Snowy 16 – Snowy Complex (includes: Cann River – Banana track and W Tree – Yalmy); and Ovens 41 – Abbeyard – Yarrarabula South.

The research will provide a summary of all fire ignitions, their causes, dates occurred, adjacent recent planned burns, control status, FFDI, time period for which they burned, and when they were controlled or subsumed by other fires.