The Field of Mars Fires in 2002 devastated some 56 hectares (138.4 acre) of forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

ry in the Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 suburb of Gladesville

Gladesville, New South Wales

Gladesville is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the Municipality of Hunter's Hill and is part of the Northern Suburbs area.Gladesville prides...

, New South Wales

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...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Fires closed in on homes on Finch Avenue in East Ryde

East Ryde, New South Wales

East Ryde is a suburb in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. East Ryde is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde. East Ryde sits on the western bank of the Lane Cove River...

and Kim Street in Gladesville, resulting in their being evacuated.

Origins

Whilst no charges were made with regards to the Field of Mars Fires, it is speculated that it was the product of an arsonist who entered the reserve on the afternoon of December 5 lighting a small scrub fire near the Field of Mars Cemetery. The fire quickly spread to cover the entire reserve and by 6 December the reserve was blackened.

Expense

Water cranes were used to exercise caution. However, patrolling fire brigadiers let the fire burn as they saw no immediate harm or damage to any property or person. There was, however, close monitoring and perimeters were formed.

Coverage

The fires received much television coverage with sky news patrols. It was one of the closest fires to central Sydney. People flocked to the surrounding streets of Thompson Street, High Street, Higginbotham Road, Westminster Road and Kennedy Street of Gladesville which served as prime vantage points.

New South Wales°N date=December 2010°W