Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Australia Prepares for Elevated Wildfire Risk After Europe’s Hot Summer
Australia is getting ready for its yearly bushfire season.
Firefighters are worried that this season could be more dangerous than usual.
A strong El Niño weather pattern is making parts of Australia hotter and drier.
Hot, dry weather can make plants and forests easier to burn.
European countries recently experienced very hot weather and serious wildfires.
Australian officials are watching the conditions but say people should be alert, not alarmed.
They are also burning small areas safely to reduce fuel for possible fires.
The most dangerous part of the season usually begins at different times in northern and southern New South Wales.
Australian firefighters are preparing for a potentially busier-than-usual fire season as southern hemisphere temperatures rise.
A strong El Niño event is bringing hotter and drier conditions to Australia, increasing wildfire risk.
Fire officials cited severe and unusual wildfires across Europe after a record-breaking hot summer.
New South Wales authorities are conducting controlled hazard-reduction burns to limit potential wildfire spread.
Peak fire danger usually begins in mid-October in northern New South Wales and in December farther south.
- Who
- Australian firefighters and fire authorities, including the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and Forestry Corporation of New South Wales.
- What
- They are preparing for an expected increase in wildfire risk and conducting controlled hazard-reduction burns.
- When
- The report was published September 8; peak fire danger usually begins in mid-October in northern New South Wales and in December in southern areas.
- Where
- Australia, particularly New South Wales; the report also describes recent wildfire conditions in Europe.
- Why
- A strong El Niño event is producing hotter, drier conditions, while recent European fires have highlighted the risks of extreme heat and dry vegetation.
- Weather pattern
- Australia is experiencing a strong El Niño event.
- Expected conditions
- The seasonal outlook calls for hotter, drier conditions and a busier-than-usual fire season.
- Current response
- Authorities are conducting hazard-reduction burns to reduce wildfire spread.
- Northern New South Wales
- Peak fire danger usually begins in mid-October.
- Southern New South Wales
- Peak fire danger usually begins in December.
- 2019–20 Black Summer
- The fires destroyed an area described as the size of Turkey and killed 33 people.
- Official assessment
- Fire officials said they are alert but not alarmed.