2001 Warragamba bushfires
Encyclopedia
The 2001 Warragamba bushfires occurred Christmas Day, December 25, 2001 in the small New South Wales
town of Warragamba, leaving 30 homes and businesses destroyed.
The bushfires in Warragamba were part of the longest official continuous bushfire emergency in NSW taking place between December 21, 2001 and January 13, 2002 and spreading across the state. Most of these fires were caused by lightning
or arsonists. The fire behaviour was unusual in many areas due to extreme dryness of fuel and variable winds. The initial destruction in Warragamba and the Hawkesbury River
area prompted a natural disaster
declaration by the State Government. http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/00ed8726e14caddfca256d09001da856/b976c92612364519ca256d330005af22?OpenDocument
On Christmas Day of 2001 over four thousand firefighters were battling over one hundred blazes across the state. A band of fire running from Campbelltown, New South Wales
east to the coast was the firefighters main concern. This was the firefront that caused the damage to Warragamba and neighbouring town Silverdale, New South Wales
as the fire sped sixty kilometres in six hours from the Lower Blue Mountains to the coast around Helensburgh, New South Wales
. http://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm. Areas further south, such as the area around St George's Basin and Jervis Bay
were heavily affected by fires caused by stray embers from the main front, with many homes in the area being destroyed.
Many local residents of the townships under threat battled the fires with garden hoses, as there were not enough fire-fighters.
One resident, Father John Evans battled to save the local parish church, only to see his own house burn down. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s448524.htm
Hundreds of people were forced into an emergency evacuation
from Warragamba. http://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm
The initial loss of electricity
affected 4,500 homes in Warragamba and surrounding areas. The local electricity supplier, Integral Energy estimated the cost in the Warragamba and surrounding areas at 3 million dollars. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s448875.htm
On December 26, 2001, the day after the fires swept through the town, Prime Minister John Howard
visited the town and praised the work of volunteer firefighters. http://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
town of Warragamba, leaving 30 homes and businesses destroyed.
The bushfires in Warragamba were part of the longest official continuous bushfire emergency in NSW taking place between December 21, 2001 and January 13, 2002 and spreading across the state. Most of these fires were caused by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
or arsonists. The fire behaviour was unusual in many areas due to extreme dryness of fuel and variable winds. The initial destruction in Warragamba and the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
area prompted a natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
declaration by the State Government. http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/00ed8726e14caddfca256d09001da856/b976c92612364519ca256d330005af22?OpenDocument
On Christmas Day of 2001 over four thousand firefighters were battling over one hundred blazes across the state. A band of fire running from Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
east to the coast was the firefighters main concern. This was the firefront that caused the damage to Warragamba and neighbouring town Silverdale, New South Wales
Silverdale, New South Wales
Silverdale is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. Approximately 30 minutes from the city of Penrith, Silverdale is a rural township close to the Warragamba Dam. The town's development increased with the construction of the dam...
as the fire sped sixty kilometres in six hours from the Lower Blue Mountains to the coast around Helensburgh, New South Wales
Helensburgh, New South Wales
Helensburgh is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. Helensburgh is located 45 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and north of Wollongong. Helensburgh is in the local government area of Wollongong City Council and marks the northern end of the Illawarra region...
. http://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm. Areas further south, such as the area around St George's Basin and Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a large bay bounded by the state of New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, and a detached enclave of the Australian Capital Territory. HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch in the Jervis Bay Territory.-History:...
were heavily affected by fires caused by stray embers from the main front, with many homes in the area being destroyed.
Many local residents of the townships under threat battled the fires with garden hoses, as there were not enough fire-fighters.
One resident, Father John Evans battled to save the local parish church, only to see his own house burn down. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s448524.htm
Hundreds of people were forced into an emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
from Warragamba. http://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm
The initial loss of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
affected 4,500 homes in Warragamba and surrounding areas. The local electricity supplier, Integral Energy estimated the cost in the Warragamba and surrounding areas at 3 million dollars. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s448875.htm
On December 26, 2001, the day after the fires swept through the town, Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
visited the town and praised the work of volunteer firefighters. http://australianweathernews.com/news/2001/12/20011226.htm