Hobart fires, February 1967

Wet conditions in the early spring of 1966 had led to prolific grass growth in southeastern Tasmania, but the onset of dry conditions from November led to the grass, and abundant forest litter, becoming highly flammable by early February. Several fires were already burning in Tasmania by the 7th, when an approaching cold front brought strengthening northerly winds and extremely hot air.

In Hobart, the temperature rose to a February record of 39.4°C, humidity fell to a very low 11 percent, and fierce winds gusted up to110km/h - classical “blow up” conditions. As in January 1939 in Victoria, the existing fires - and others, possibly deliberately lit - quickly joined into a major conflagration. The first fire calls began arriving at the Hobart Fire Brigade around 9am, and were coming fast by 11am, as an orange pall of smoke spread across the City. The main fire appears to have started behind Moonah and to have spread southeast, reaching the Huon Highway by 1.45pm and Mt Nelson by 2:30pm. Spot fires broke out on the hills and ridges ahead of the main front, and quickly spread.

Many towns and suburbs were badly affected: the township of Snug was largely destroyed. There were eyewitness reports alleging that weatherboard houses in the path of the fire “exploded”. Communications failed; at one stage only one radio station was still on the air. In the face of such fires, with no communications, with equipment that was often no more than wet sacks and tree branches, and with the water supply in some areas running out, fire authorities and householders had no hope of stopping the advance. In the words of one fireman: “We didn’t put it out. It just ran out of Tasmania”. The fire advanced to within a few hundred metres of the Hobart GPO and business district. Even the D’Entrecasteux Channel proved inadequate as a firebreak, as strong winds carried burning debris over two kilometres to Bruny Island to start fresh fires. Except for the Tasman Peninsula, more than half of the area south of a line from New Norfolk to the east coast was burnt.

House burning down in South Hobart during fires of 7 February, 1967 in Tasmania (photo courtesy of The Mercury).

The fires directly caused 53 deaths, and indirectly caused another nine. Many survivors had severe burns, and/or eye and respiratory problems. About 1,400 houses and major buildings were lost, and tens of thousands of sheep and poultry perished. Following this disastrous summer, much more attention and more resources were given to fire fighting equipment and preparatory practices such as fuel reduction burns.

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