The fires of 1951/52

Total Fire Bans were imposed from 26 to 28 January & from 1 February to 2 March 1952, inclusively.

The Bobbys Plain - 17 January

The Bobbys Plain fire started at 1310 hours on Thursday 17 January on the Brindabella-Tumut Road (about 16 miles from the A.C.T. Border); It was orginally 3 seperate fires, a bulldozer arrived on the Sunday 20 January to assist and the fire was bought under control later on in the morning. Unfortunately 2 fresh outbreaks occurred on the Sunday at nearby Tigers Hill, these later merged and were bought under control late that Sunday night.

At 9.00am Monday 21 January a fresh outbreak occurred about 3/4 of mile furthur down the road. This fire the sixth in four days was obviously deliberately lit in several places on a 75 yard front. It was bought under control by mid-afternoon that day. By late Tuesday 22 January the fires were declared safe.

The 6 fires burnt out a total of 2 000 acres of bushland, all six were believed to have been deliberately lit.

The Tanner Fire (Block 26A Woden) 23 January

This fire was reported at 1712 hours on Wednesday 23 January, the fire was believed to have been started by a magpie causing a short circuit on a powerline. It was bought under control about an hour later. Mopping up continued over the next few days, the fire burnt out around 500 acres of grass and rough timber.

Powerline fires of 25 January

The first fire was reported at 1015 hours Friday 25 January, it started in the Yarralumla area about a mile and half from the Canberra Cemetery (the Campbell Fire).

The second fire started around 1100 hours, near the Jennings Construction Company about 2 miles from the base of Red Hill, along the power transmission lines (known as the Jennings Fire). The gale force westerly winds (around 55 m.p.h.) sent the Jennings Fire over Red Hill; It also caused the Tanner Fire to flare up. The Campbell, Tanner and Jennings fires eventually joined up.

The combined fire raced across Mugga Hill and raced on towards Tuggeranong across scrub country. It was finally halted at London Bridge near Burra in N.S.W. (16 miles from its point of origin) around 1800 hours that day.

The rain on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 (around 9 millimetres) gave fire fighters a respite.

Though the fire was under control and while there was no breakaways in the A.C.T., it continued to cause furthur problems in N.S.W. with difficult terrain and unfavourable prevailing winds. The fire continued to burn spasmodically for about 12 days gradually increasing its area by 25 square miles.

Two Canberra residents died and a total of 50 square miles was burnt in the A.C.T. and another 50 square miles in adjoining N.S.W.; the damage in the A.C.T. and N.S.W. included:

The fires of Tuesday 5 February

Fires in the North-West of the A.C.T.

The first fire occurred about 1032 hours, in Compartment 51, Hardy Block, Pierce's Creek, it was started by a lightning strike, burning out 0.1 acre of 17 year old pines.

At 1035 hours at Pago Hill, Hall's Block, in the Lees Creek area, a lightning strike fire burnt about 1 acre of hardwood bush. It was extinguished at 1400 hours that day.

1055 hours about 3/4 mile east of Fairlight homestead a lightning strike burnt out 1/2 acre of grass and rough timber.

1100 hours at Little Swamp Creek, near Two Sticks (N.S.W.) a lightning strike fire burnt out 5 acres of ring-barked bush country.

At about 1200 hours near Flea Creek, tributary of Goodradigbee River N.S.W. (about 2 miles from the A.C.T. border) another lightning strike burnt out 6 acres of rough bushland.

Also around 1200 hours a fire started by lightning at Limestone Creek, tributary of Goodradigbee River N.S.W. (about 5 miles from the A.C.T. border) burnt out 250 acres of rough bushland.

The Mount Stromlo Fire

The major fire started at 1053 hours on Walker Hill, about 6 miles northwest of Mt Stromlo. It was started by a lightning strike in scrub; The fire fed by thick undergrowth and fallen pine needles and driven by a strong westerly wind (around 44 miles per hour) drove the fire towards Mt Stromlo.

At 1.00pm the wind increased in speed and swung to the northwest, the Observatory was advised to evacuate women and children. The fire approached the Observatory in 3 tongues; The first tongue was successfully contained but the remaining two combined and ignited the Machine Shop Wing. A oxygen cylinder in the Workshop exploded, the blast bringing down the roof which partially put out the fire and also allowed the staff to contain it.

The main fire passed by the Observatory and destroyed a stand of pines to the northeast, these pines were planted in 1915, the fire then burnt across the Cotter Road and was finally brought under control about 1700 hours in the Kambah area.

The fire destroyed several of the Observatory buildings including equipment (valued at 50,000 pounds), 766 acres of mature pine plantation, another 100 acres of young pine plantation and 7,000 acres of grass country on about 20 seperate leases.

About 1900 hours another lightning strike caused a fire near the Rifle Range (the east side of Mount Ainslie) and burnt out about 2 acres of grassland.

The Hall District Fires

Around 1320 hours at "Glenwood" N.S.W. (about 1 mile from Hall) a lightning strike started a fire, it was bought under control by backburning from Cooramon Ponds creek. About 1,000 acres of grass and timber was burnt.

Another fire about 8 miles north-west of Hall was bought under control at Gooda Creek after burning out pastureland.

Late that night another lightning strike started a small blaze at Spring Range, near Hall.

The Mountain Creek Fires: 7 February to 4 March

Smoke was first noticed about 1300 hours from the vicinity of the Flea Creek fire. At around 1830 hours 7 February the first firebreak was started around the foot of Baldy Mountain and through Swamp Creek to Two Sticks Road.

Various other fire breaks and roads were constructed over the next few weeks: