Major bushfires in Australia in 2015-2016 summer: before and after

Updated

Satellite images of Australian states reveal the devastating impact bushfires have had on the country's landscape.

Australia's 2015-16 summer season was marked by heatwaves, extreme temperatures and several bushfires that scorched large swathes of the country.

These before and after photos from the Landsat-8 satellite show in detail how major bushfires destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of vegetation in Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia.

Tasmania

Tasmania suffered from a summer of bushfires which included a lightning strike on January 14, which sparked nearly 50 fires across the state.

On February 15 there were 27 active fires burning across the state with some threatening containment lines.

More than 100,000 hectares were burnt around the state, including 19,000 hectares in the World Heritage Area.

Western Australia

The January bushfires in Yarloop destroyed more than 100 homes, with local saying they had no warning before the "tumbling wave of fire" tore through town.

The WA Government's handling of the bushfire came under attack, prompting calls for a parliamentary inquiry.

Billionaires and tradies alike banded together to help the recovery effort.

Victoria

The bushfire, which struck on Christmas Day, destroyed 116 homes — 98 at Wye River and 18 at Separation Creek — and burnt at least 2,000 hectares.

The Great Ocean Road was closed due to bushfires that destroyed dozens of homes.

South Australia

Towns, livestock and houses all went up in flames in November, leaving two people dead and more fighting for their lives in the Adelaide bushfires.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said the fire had destroyed 16 homes and 22 "significant buildings" as well as dozens of cars and machinery.

The fire started at Pinery, with the impact demonstrated on the map above.

Topics: disasters-and-accidents, bushfire, emergency-incidents, australia, wa, vic, sa, tas

First posted