Overview of the 2023–24 bushfire season

On the 1 August 2023 there was a sharp drop in rainfall across Queensland that amplified the bushfire season. Average monthly rainfall fell from 73 millimetres in July to just 19 millimetres by October. These dry conditions, combined with low soil moisture and high evaporation, increased the risk of bushfires across large areas of southern and inland Queensland.

By September 2023, the Queensland Fire Department had already responded to more than 5,000 bushfires across the state. This was more than double the number recorded at the same time in 2022. Seasonal outlooks released by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) for spring and summer 2023–24 predicted a longer and more active fire season than usual.

Fire activity and response

Bushfire activity began across southern Queensland in July 2023 and increased rapidly from early September. On 6 September 2023, ongoing fires in the South West Region required the activation of the Regional Operations Centre and several Incident Control Centres. Many fires were made worse by heavy fuel loads, which had built up after several wet years linked to La Niña conditions.

Fire activity continued to increase between July and November 2023. By October, fires were burning across all parts of the South West Region. During the season, around 1,700 bushfire warnings were issued across Queensland. Of these, 551 warnings (32 per cent) were issued for the South West Region.

One of the most serious incidents was the Tara fire, which was first reported on 15 October 2023. By 23 October, the fire was threatening homes, with flames reaching up to 20 metres above the tree canopy. Later in October, several large fires were burning at the same time across the region. On 31 October 2023, the Wallangarra bushfire forced the closure of the New England Highway and required coordination between Queensland and New South Wales emergency services.

End of the season

Widespread rainfall in late 2023 and early 2024 reduced fire risk across the region. As a result, the bushfire operational period ended on 1 February 2024.

Key statistics

Operational period: 6 September 2023 to 1 February 2024

Area burnt: About 252,000 hectares in the South West Region

Vegetation fires recorded: More than 700, nearly 100 fires directly threatened lives, property and/or livestock

Warnings issued:

• About 1,700 bushfire warnings statewide

• 551 warnings (32%) issued for the South West Region

• 107 emergency warnings issued

Emergency communications:

• 2,580 Triple Zero calls

• 42 Emergency Alert campaigns

Evacuations:

• About 1,000 people registered as evacuees across the region

• More than 280 people evacuated in the Tara area

Response effort

• 1,275 personnel deployed in the South West Region

• More than 22,000 aerial water‑bombing drops

• Over 40 million litres of suppressant and fire retardant delivered

• Support provided by Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Emergency Management Victoria, ACT Emergency Services Agency and the AFAC National Resource Sharing Centre

Impacts

• Two fatalities in the Tara area

• One occurred during property defence

• One occurred during evacuation

• More than 130 structures destroyed, including 63 houses

• 726 damage assessments completed

• Five firefighter injuries reported to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Insurance impacts:

At the time of reporting, there was no publicly available estimate of insured losses specifically for the Queensland South West Region bushfires. Insurance losses were reported as part of broader 2023–24 extreme weather events and were not broken down by region or type of hazard.