In 2018, the south-west of Western Australia recorded the second lowest autumn rainfall on record; the lowest since 1914. This was consistent with a declining rainfall trend observed in this region over the past 40 years.

These dry conditions and an extended autumn season enabled private and public land owners and managers to use planned burning to reduce fuel loads and the summer bushfire risk. By early May, many local governments in the south-west perceived conditions as low risk and, consistent with usual practice, no longer required permits for planned burns. Consequently, there was a significant number of planned fires across the region, but the easing of restrictions limited authorities’ knowledge about where fires were and who was burning.

During the first two weeks of May, the south-west experienced unseasonably warm and dry conditions. Early in the week commencing 21 May, the Bureau of Meteorology forecast the first strong cold front of the year for the western and southern parts of Western Australia. On 24-25 May, the front brought dry air and winds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour to the south-west. Although rain was forecast, no significant rainfall fell across the Great Southern Region of the state.

As the front passed, more than 150 fires were reported to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in the South West and Great Southern Regions. Parts of Albany and several small communities were threatened by the fires, and DFES issued several emergency warnings.

Despite the scale of fire across the south-west, only one house was lost and another damaged. However, several hundred sheep were killed, several kilometres of fencing burned, and the loss of crops, pasture and topsoil will have longer-term environmental and economic impacts on affected farmers.

Many of the fires were escaped burns originating on private property. About five per cent of the fires were planned burns being undertaken by state agencies, either on state-owned land or on private land on behalf of property owners.

The Western Australian Government requested the Office of Bushfire Risk Management undertake a review to examine what led to the escapes on 24-25 May and how the risk of these escapes could be effectively mitigated in future. The review will consider whether management actions leading up to the escape of the planned burns, and mechanisms to lessen the risk of escape of planned burns, are adequate.