Record 84M Hectares Burned in 2023 Northern Australia Fires

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A massive fire burned through northern Australia in 2023, destroying an area three times bigger than the United Kingdom.

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To understand this scale: the burned area of 84 million hectares is larger than the entire state of New South Wales.

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In just a few weeks between September and October, flames raced across 18 million hectares of the Barkly, Tanami and Great Sandy Deserts.

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The cause of this fire breakout can be traced to the recent wet seasons led to thick grass growth across the deserts which became the perfect fuel for fires when dry.

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The most dangerous fires hit near Tennant Creek, a remote town in the Northern Territory and stopped when they reached areas that had burned four years earlier.

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Ancient knowledge can provide us with insights. Indigenous Australians have managed these lands for thousands of years using controlled burning.

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Their method creates a patchwork of burned and unburned areas, like cutting up a giant landscape into sections and managing them at different times.

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Preventing huge fires requires year-round work, traditional knowledge, and proper support.

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