| Sydney, 1994 |
Over 800 extensive bush fires spread along the coast of New South Wales in summer 1993-1994. Four people were killed - two civilians and two fire fighters, and 27 250 people were evacuated. 800 000 hectares were burnt. 225 homes and other buildings destroyed and a further 150 were damaged 9. |
| Indonesia, 1997 |
Widespread bushfires in Indonesia in 1997 (over 5 018 000 hectares 10 resulted in a haze of air pollution which resulted in severe adverse health effects in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore 11 . |
| Canada, 2003 |
2500 fires started in British Columbia in 2003 during a period of particularly hot, dry weather 12. Many urban areas were affected; 334 homes were destroyed and 45 000 people evacuated. The total cost of the fire storm is thought to be around $700 million (Canadian dollars). Three deaths were reported – all pilots who died when trying to put out the blaze. |
| California, 2007 |
Wildfires in Southern California in October 2007 burnt over an area of 202 300 hectares, destroying around 1 500 homes. Nine people died 13. |
| Victoria, Australia, 2009 |
Black Saturday, one of Australia’s worst natural disasters occurred on 7 February 2009, when temperatures in Melbourne reached 46.4°C (the hottest on record). Bushfires which had started earlier in the day swept across the region, blown by 100km/h winds. Over 141 600 hectares burned. 173 people died, 414 were injured 14. |
| Russia, 2010 |
In summer 2010, the western part of the Russian Federation experienced extreme heat and severe wildfires. More than 20 000 forest fires over an area of 2800 km2 were recorded, emitting high levels of carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Cumulative excess deaths in July and August of 2010 amounted to 54 000 compared to the same period in 2009 15. |
