Experts back rules to snuff out e-bike, e-scooter fires
After a spate of house fires and injuries Australia urgently needs new rules governing electric bikes, scooters and skateboards, experts say.
fire
Fire traps, kills farmer as Sydney prepares to swelter
As a family mourns a farmer killed in a hazard-reduction burn, parts of NSW and western Sydney are expected to swelter when temperatures reach the low 40s.
Fire pilot went to ‘go take a look’ on fatal last shift
An aerial firefighter who died flying his final shift told another pilot he would "go take a look" at a fire the operator of other plane refused to return to.
Black Summer fires sound alarm on ozone layer depletion
Scientists believe they now understand how megafires such as Australia's Black Summer blazes deplete the ozone layer that shields humanity from the sun.
Hotter than summer: Mercury soars in NSW heatwave
Sydney baked through its hottest day in two years while bushfires in NSW's west sparked emergency warnings for two communities.
NSW swelters through second scorcher as bushfires burn
Baking conditions have continued across Sydney and NSW as wind changes have intensified a large blaze in the state's central west, threatening homes.
New head appointed at disaster recovery agency
The Queensland government has appointed a familiar face to lead the state's disaster recovery agency following the departure of chief executive Brendan Moon.
Large, fast fire threatens properties in western Qld
Firefighters say a large, fast-moving bushfire burning in Queensland's Western Downs is threatening a number of rural properties near Weir River.
International delegates hear how Australia manages fire
Delegates from around the world have heard from Indigenous Australians on traditional fire management practices at a forum in Darwin.
Australia a ‘powder keg’ for grassfires after big wet
Every time Australia has had prolonged periods of wet weather, deadly fires have followed. Experts say the death of this La Nina will likely end the same way.
Lives, homes ‘still at risk’ as SA bushfire downgraded
Threats remains despite warnings being downgraded for a bushfire burning on the outskirts of Port Lincoln, on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.
West Australian region could nudge 50 degrees
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a heatwave warning for large parts of the country as temperatures rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius.
Soaring temperatures put WA residents on high alert
Temperatures in the high 40s will be felt in northern parts of Western Australia as other areas of the country get a heatwave reprieve.
Race to contain Qld bushfires as heatwave looms
Emergency warnings are in place for residents to the north of the Queensland town of Miles as firefighters try to bring large bushfires under control.
Residents prepared to leave as Queensland fires rage
Firefighters have told about 220 residents near Miles, 300km northwest of Brisbane, to monitor conditions as they try to contain a major bushfire.
‘Leave immediately’: Bushfires rage across Queensland
Emergency warnings are in place across parts of Queensland as the state battles 50 bushfires, with challenging conditions expected to continue.
Multiple bushfires burning across Queensland
Numerous fires are burning across Queensland, as temperatures hit 40C in several parts of the state.
Lightning adds to threat as Queensland blazes rage
Residents in Queensland's Western Downs are bracing for the impact of multiple bushfires, with a number of buildings already destroyed.
Firefighters race to contain blazes in rural Queensland
Residents to the north of the Queensland town of Miles are on alert as firefighters try to bring a large bushfire under control.
Water-damaged scooter batteries ‘ticking time bombs’
Firefighters warn e-scooter riders to keep an eye on their battery's condition after water damage sparked a house fire in the latest of several similar blazes.
40 years since deadly Ash Wednesday bushfire inferno
More than a dozen firefighters who died while battling Victoria's Ash Wednesday blazes almost 40 years ago have been honoured at a memorial service.
Adversarial neighbour protests innocence at burnt club
A resident who lives near a controversial nightclub admitted he previously threatened to burn it down as the heartbroken owner vowed to rebuild.
Barilaro’s office denied bushfire funds in Labor seats
The NSW auditor‑general's report on bushfire recovery grants has found John Barilaro's office excluded Labor electorates from urgent funding.
Firefighters rush to Brisbane unit blaze
Emergency services found the body of a man after responding to an early morning blaze at a Brisbane unit complex.
Five injured in Brisbane e-scooter fire
Five people have been taken to hospital after they were injured when an e-scooter caught fire inside a home in southwest Brisbane.
Home destroyed in southern Qld bushfire
A house and several sheds have been destroyed by a bushfire in southern Queensland, which is threatening more homes in three communities.
Grass fires still a risk despite floods
Dangerous grassfires could still pose a threat to flood-ravaged communities this summer, with experts warning against a false sense of security.
Fire chief warning for ‘deadly’ grassfires
The NSW rural fire service commissioner says destructive and deadly grassfires could spread across parts of Australia's east coast at the end of January.
Elderly Qld man dies in house fire
The body of an 80-year-old man has been found after a fire destroyed a home north of Brisbane.
Murder charges over Qld fire deaths
A woman has been charged with two counts of murder after the remains of a father and daughter were found in a burnt-out shed days before Christmas.
Father and daughter, 10, die in shed fire
A father due to get married next week and his 10-year-old daughter have died in a shed fire at a property in regional Queensland.