Chart 1 - Victoria’s Burning History: Area and Number of Fires

Bushfire area has grown dramatically since 2000, while prescribed burns remain small.

Chart 2 - Fire Area and Average Fire Size by Decade

Prescribed burns are getting smaller over time — from 400 ha in the 1960s to just 9 ha in the 2020s.

Chart 3 - Melbourne’s Rising Temperatures (1969-2014)

As temperatures rise, conditions for catastrophic fire become more frequent.

Chart 4 - Fire Size, Frequency and Total Area by Decade

The average Victorian bushfire was 7 times larger in the 2000s than the 1990s. Bubble size represents number of fires.

Chart 5 - Victoria’s Prescribed Burning Gap

Victoria burns less than half of what’s needed to reduce megafire risk.

Data Source

Data sources: Geoscience Australia — National Bushfire Historical Extents (2025) Bureau of Meteorology — Melbourne Daily Maximum Temperature, Station 086071 Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (2020) — Reducing Bushfire Risks.