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Forest fire data

This page presents information and links to national forest fire area data for 2016-17 to 2020-21, presents data for the 2019-20 summer bushfire season in southern and eastern Australia, and provides links to national forest fire area data for 2011-16.

National forest fire area data for 2016-17 to 2020-21

Over the period 2016-17 to 2020-21:

  • a total of 46.9 million hectares (35%) of Australia’s total forest area was burnt. The balance (65%) did not experience fire.
  • the largest national annual area of forest fire was 21.1 million hectares in 2019-20, of which 8.5 million hectares was burnt by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires in southern and eastern Australia.
  • the area proportion of fire that was unplanned fire was highest (79%) during 2019-20, driven by unusually large forest areas burnt by bushfires in southern and eastern Australia.
  • the lowest national annual area of forest fire was 10.5 million hectares in 2020-21.

Fire area data across Australia for 2016-17 to 2020-21 are available in

  • Indicator 3.1b: Area of forest burnt by planned and unplanned fire. This indicator presents information on the impacts of forest fire, and national data and maps of fire in Australia's forests.
  • Fires in Australia's forests 2016-21. This is a continental spatial dataset of the extent and frequency of planned and unplanned fires occurring in forest in Australia over the period 2016-17 to 2020-21.

Forest fire area data for the 2019-20 summer bushfire season in southern and eastern Australia

During the 2019-20 bushfire season, the southern and eastern parts of Australia experienced multiple large-scale and intense fires. This set of data tables shows the area of Australia's forests in the fire extent area during this bushfire season in southern and eastern Australia, by jurisdiction, forest category and forest tenure.

​​​The data tables using fire extent data as at 28 April 2020 are available for download in Excel workbook format [76 KB].

Fire extent area during 2019-20 summer bushfire season in southern and eastern Australia as at 28 April 2020, and the area of forest in this extent, by jurisdiction

JurisdictionFire area
('000 hectares)
Forest area in fire area
('000 hectares)
Proportion of fire area that is forested
(%)
Australian Capital Territory908393
New South Wales5,6825,12390
Northern Territory000
Queensland57451490
South Australia31313744
Tasmania453065
Victoria1,5831,45792
Western Australia2,0441,14356
Total10,3318,48682

Source: Fire extent derived from the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset (v20200428) current to 28 April 2020.

Preliminary Area for Environmental Analysis – 2019/20 Fires

Forest area derived from the National Forest Inventory Forests of Australia (2018) spatial dataset.

Notes: Refer the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset metadata statement for information on the purpose, lineage, known issues and data limitations of the fire extent dataset.

Totals may not tally due to rounding.

Area of Australia's forests, and the area and proportion in the fire extent area during the 2019-20 summer bushfire season in southern and eastern Australia as at 28 April 2020, by forest category and jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Total forest area, by forest category 
('000 hectares)

Forest area in fire area, by forest category
('000 hectares)
Proportion of total forest in fire area, by forest category
(%)
 Native forestCommercial plantationOther forestTotal forestNative forestCommercial plantationOther forestTotal forestNative forestCommercial plantationOther forestTotal forest
Australian Capital Territory13075142830083640.22.758
New South Wales19,9253806220,3685,01592165,12325242625
Northern Territory23,68645423,73500000.00.00.00.0
Queensland51,5802292151,830510405141.01.91.31.0
South Australia4,856178255,0601181721372.4107.92.7
Tasmania3,342311463,6992730300.80.80.40.8
Victoria7,6454151628,2221,4441031,457192.42.018
Western Australia20,45038314820,9811,140401,1445.61.20.25.5
Total131,6151,949474134,0378,336130228,4886.36.74.76.3

Source: Fire extent derived from the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset (v20200428) current to 28 April 2020.

Preliminary Area for Environmental Analysis – 2019/20 Fires

Forest area derived from the National Forest Inventory Forests of Australia (2018) spatial dataset.

Notes: Refer the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset metadata statement for information on the purpose, lineage, known issues and data limitations of the fire extent dataset.

Totals may not tally due to rounding.

Area of Australia's native forest, and the area and proportion in the fire extent area during the 2019-20 summer bushfire season in southern and eastern Australia as at 28 April 2020, by forest tenure and jurisdiction

 Total forest area, by jurisdiction
Forest tenureACTNSWNTQldSATas.Vic.WATotal
 Native forest area ('000 hectares)
Leasehold forest84,2499,31828,1351,447004,08947,246
Multiple-use public forest51,85602,881226123,0521,3449,772
Nature conservation reserve1135,569154,3781,6981,5443,3675,03521,719
Other Crown land57558811,308913802417,38211,042
Private forest07,41413,43514,2131,5808069842,60041,031
Unresolved tenure0813866620000805
Total native forest13019,92523,68651,5804,8563,3427,64520,450131,615
 Native forest in fire area ('000 hectares)
Leasehold forest319018220050111
Multiple-use public forest08800162010878311,963
Nature conservation reserve802,75001696234962863,845
Other Crown land01090480613749926
Private forest01,254011033757221,484
Unresolved tenure020300006
Total native forest in fire area835,0150510118271,4441,1388,334
 Proportion of native forest in fire area (%)
Leasehold forest330.500.11.50.00.01.20.2
Multiple-use public forest5.14705.61.21.7292.320
Nature conservation reserve714903.93.60.2155.718
Other Crown land8.01403.70.51.75.3108.4
Private forest0.01700.82.10.95.80.83.6
Unresolved tenure0.03.000.41.30.0130.00.7
Total642501.02.40.8195.66.3

Source: Fire extent derived from the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset (v20200428) current to 28 April 2020.

Preliminary Area for Environmental Analysis – 2019/20 Fires

Forest area derived from the National Forest Inventory Forests of Australia (2018) spatial dataset.

Notes: Refer the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset metadata statement for information on the purpose, lineage, known issues and data limitations of the fire extent dataset.

Totals may not tally due to rounding.

Data tables of the forest fire area for the 2019-20 bushfire season using fire extent data as at 23 March 2020 are available for download in Excel workbook format [76KB]

National forest fire area data for 2011-16

Fire area data across Australia for 2011-16 are available in

  • Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018 Criterion 3 Indicator 3.1b: Area of forest burnt by planned and unplanned fire. This indicator presents information on the impacts of forest fire, and national data and maps of fire in Australia's forests for the five year period from 2011 to 2016.
  • ABARES Insights Stocktake Fire in Australia's forests, 2011 to 2016. This Stocktake covers where and how often fire occurred in forests over this period, the land tenures and forest types on which the fire occurred, and whether the fire was planned or unplanned. The data workbook containing the data and figures in the Stocktake is available here. The maps in the Stocktake are available here.
  • Fire in Australia's forests 2011-16. This is a continental spatial dataset of the extent and frequency of planned and unplanned fires occurring in forest in Australia over the period 2011-16.
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Page last updated: 06 November 2024

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

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