At 81 metres tall and weighing 220 tonnes, the flag mast that sits atop Australia’s Parliament House is one of the largest stainless steel structures in the world. At its peak flies a 22kg Australian flag, which, at the same size as a double-decker bus, takes three people to change.

For the past week, it’s been all but invisible. The flag has flown at half-mast, honouring volunteer firefighters who died attempting to protect their communities from unprecedented blazes which have scorched an area the size of Belgium. But for much of this week, it has been unseen, hidden by a smoke haze, that has left Canberra, affectionately known as Australia’s “bush capital”, claiming the title of having the worst air quality in the world.

Canberra is often dismissed as existing within a bubble, home to public servants, politicians, journalists and other wonks, who sit, cocooned, against the trials and tribulations of real Australia.

Those people exist within the 420,000 strong population, along with thousands of Scott Morrison’s “quiet Australians”. All have been breathing in hazardous air for days, pushed by winds from the surrounding, unstoppable fire fronts. But for one senator, the politicians who have repeatedly voted against climate action in Australia are not breathing it. They’re only in Canberra when parliament sits and it won’t sit again until February.

Smoke haze has become synonymous with the 2019/2020 Australian summer. Images of Sydney, Australia’s most famous city, smothered in a brown smog, its glittering harbour and landmarks stained as if drenched in old tea, have already been sent around the world.

Canberra, about three-and-a-half hours further inland, is usually buffeted against environmental contaminants. Unique as one of Australia’s only “planned” cities, Canberra’s geography and topography usually protect its clean air.

On New Year’s Day, it experienced its worst air quality on record, with residents of Australia’s eighth-largest city told to stay indoors, effectively shutting it down. Residents hadn’t seen anything that bad since the deadly 2003 bushfires, which took the region by surprise. Authorities hadn’t seen anything that bad since air quality monitoring records began in Canberra, a decade and a half ago.

It’s hard to say happy new year, literally. My lungs sting but my heart breaks for those actually facing & fighting the fires. Thinking of family, friends, students & colleagues at risk. May everyone please be safe as can be & make it through this. And may 2020 be a turning point pic.twitter.com/3OGUuxIUgH — Justin Garrick (@JAGarrick) December 31, 2019

Air quality index readings above 200 are considered hazardous to health. On Wednesday, readings at one Canberra monitoring site peaked at 7,700 at 1am. As the day progressed, they hovered between 3,400 and 5,000, depending where in the city you were.

AND THERE IT IS. 5000 plus. That’s the air quality in southern Canberra.



5109.. 66 is good.. 200 is bad.



CANBERRA has the dirtiest city air in the world 🌍 pic.twitter.com/tpNLSIveVV — Julian Abbott (@JulianBAbbott) January 1, 2020

Authorities warned the smog would stay for days, trapped by the same high temperatures and winds that had seen fire authorities admit they could not bring current blazes under control, even with 10,000 firefighters.

Unfortunately #smoke will continue to impact #Canberra today & may worsen with dangerous #bushfire conditions this weekend. The smoke is thick enough that even early this morning it was visible on infrared satellite. @ACTHealth has updated advice https://t.co/XIZiuSxbEp @ACT_ESA pic.twitter.com/osCPDFs2U2 — Bureau of Meteorology Australian Capital Territory (@BOM_ACT) January 1, 2020

The fires had not reached the nation’s capital as yet but the impacts were still being felt. The city felt all but shut down, as health authorities issued warnings to residents to stay inside, shut all doors and windows, and turn off evaporative air conditioners, despite the blistering heat.

“We also strongly advise people who are sensitive to smoke, especially those with pre-existing heart and lung conditions, to take extra care during these conditions,” the advice continued. “People who are sensitive to smoke and air pollution can be more vulnerable to heat-related illness as well, so staying hydrated and cool is important.

“People who are able to do so, are also encouraged to check on others who they think might need extra help, to see that they are OK.”

Babies were being born into bushfire smoke-filled delivery rooms.

Back home after a 3am birth.



Smoke so thick and choking it filled the birth suite.



What future does this child - born on New Year's Day 2020 - face? Will it be as hellish as it seems in the dark hours this morning?#AUSTRALIANBUSHFIRES#ClimateEmergency#auspoI #2020NewYear https://t.co/NxKw5fEAJe — Steve Robson (@DrSteveRobson) December 31, 2019

I've delivered a baby this morning (in a smoky theatre) and done lots of antenatal visits.



The dawn of a new decade. Normally a time for optimism and hope.



Today, every single parent-to-be tells me they are fearful for their child's climate future. 😩😩#bushfiresAustralia — Steve Robson (@DrSteveRobson) January 2, 2020

“The mum could smell the smoke,” he said. “She said ‘I don’t feel so good about all of this’ and I said ‘to be honest I don’t feel that good either’,” Canberra obstetrician Dr Steve Robson told Buzzfeed. “The couple was really anxious and they said ‘Look, we’re really worried about what the future will look like’.”

An elderly woman died after exiting a plane into Canberra’s smoke haze.

Landing on instruments today... this is Canberra, 6pm in summer pic.twitter.com/zxFJGWyxZA — MarnieHW (@Marnie_HW) January 1, 2020

The Canberra hospital announced some MRI machines had been impacted by the smoke and were unable to be used, although authorities moved to reassure people it was keeping up with demand.

The Canberra Hospital has had to cancel some medical/diagnostic procedures due to smoke impacting the building and equipment. I’m told MRI machines can’t operate, won’t be operating today or tomorrow. #canberrasmoke — Dr Liz Allen (@DrDemography) January 1, 2020

Australia Post confirmed it had suspended mail deliveries to the ACT, with mail trucks and planes unable to get through.

Hi Gavin,



We're very sorry for any alarm this has caused. Deliveries in the ACT have been suspended due to the hazardous smoke caused by the ongoing bushfires in NSW and VIC. I will pass on your feedback about the punctuation used in this message.



-Hannah — Australia Post (@auspost) January 3, 2020

Air purifiers were sold out across the region, with retailers unable to say when more would arrive, given the transportation issues.

P2 masks, usually the domain of home renovations, were sold out just as quickly. As residents attempted to organise their own supplies, including university students arranging for hundreds to be carried in the luggage of students returning from interstate holidays, authorities said they were moving to provide masks to those most vulnerable – but the best protection was just to stay inside.

But the smoke was there too. University campuses were shut, as were major tourism attractions, including the zoo, swimming pools and and some banks and civic services. Those who returned from the nearby New South Wales south coast, escaping the flames, found air heavier than the fire-threatened towns they were fleeing. Baseball and tennis tournaments were cancelled, with the games moved somewhere the air was less harmful to the players and spectators.

Climate crisis casualty my beautiful friend of 3 decades Lara collapsed in the heat & smoke in Canberra. I let her join our ancestors now she gallops with them in the stars. No more catastrophic bushfires we need to manage Country with the Knowledge of Indigenous communities. pic.twitter.com/EJ6WuTJdAD — Jakelin Troy (@JakelinTroy) January 3, 2020

As the week continued, Melbourne residents began suffering the effects, as the Victorian East Gippsland region suffered under unstoppable fires.

The view out my office window right now... the Bolte Bridge is completely shrouded in bushfire smoke. Thoughts with all who are in the thick of it in #Gippsland.. fighting, fleeing, helping. ⁦@7NewsMelbourne⁩ pic.twitter.com/wjCshd2qfJ — Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) January 3, 2020

Those in the smoke-filled cities, eyes burning and lungs heavy, didn’t complain, with all eyes turned to neighbouring regions where flames threatened everything people held dear. Australia’s horror summer shut down it’s capital this week, without a flame. The worry was it served as a harbinger of what was to come. Australia’s seat of power, paralysed by haze, blinding all to what was coming on the horizon.