The 2007 Kangaroo Island bushfires were a series of

bushfires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...

caused by

lightning strike A lightning strike or lightning bolt is an electric discharge between the atmosphere and the ground. Most originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. A less common type of strike, ground- ...

s on 6 December 2007 on

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, resulting in the destruction of of

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

and wilderness protection area. The fires occurred mainly across the western side of the island near

Flinders Chase National Park Flinders Chase National Park (formerly Flinders Chase) is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located at the west end of Kangaroo Island about west-south west of the state capital of Adelaide and west of the municipal ...

, Vivonne Bay,

D'Estrees Bay D'Estrees Bay (french: Baie D'Estrees) is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the southern coast of Kangaroo Island about south of Kingscote, the Island's principal centre. D’Estrees Bay was named in 1803 by Peron a ...

, Western River and Riverleas.

Overview

The D'Estrees Bay fire in

Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park, formerly the Cape Gantheaume National Park, is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on the south coast of Kangaroo Island. Attractions include Murray Lagoon and D'Estrees Bay. It ...

was contained by 12 December 2007, while intense fires in the west, which included the

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

s of Flinders Chase National Park and

Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area Ravine Des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area is a protected area located on the west end of Kangaroo Island in South Australia about west of Kingscote. It was established in 1993 on land previously part of the Flinders Chase National Park. ...

, were more difficult to extinguish. On 14 December 2007, the

Country Fire Service The South Australian Country Fire Service (SACFS, commonly abbreviated as CFS) is a volunteer based fire service in the Australian state of South Australia. The CFS has responsibility as the Control Agency for firefighting and Hazardous Waste ...

officially announced that all fires were contained. The event was South Australia's largest bush fire operation to date with over 800 personnel, 7 fixed wing water bombers and an Elvis Skycrane Helitanker all assisting in firefighting efforts, together with units from Victoria's

Country Fire Authority The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state Victoria, Australia. CFA comprises over 1,200 brigades organised in 21 ...

and the

New South Wales Rural Fire Service The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the Government of New South Wales. The NSW RFS is responsible for fire protection to approximately 95% of the land area of New South ...

. A

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

was considered but was rejected on 10 December 2007 due to cooler conditions. A state of emergency would have seen the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

move in to assist the Country Fire Service and Department of Environment personnel. Before being contained on 16 December 2007, over (or 20% of the Island) had been burnt, principally within National Park and Conservation Reserves. The most serious outbreak occurred in Flinders Chase, with (or 85% of the total Park area) having been burnt. The total damage bill is estimated at A$2.3 million.Kangaroo Island, South Australia: ''The Islander'', 14 February 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kangaroo Island Bushfires 2007 in Australia December 2007 events in Australia Bushfires in South Australia 2007 wildfires Kangaroo Island 2000s in South Australia