Queensland burned an estimated 14.3 million hectares in 2025, the third-highest total of any Australian state or territory, according to the North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information Service’s April 2026 report. As of September 22, 2026, a bushfire near Stanthorpe on the Southern Downs has forced evacuations, and fire authorities warn North Queensland faces a worse-than-usual 2025-26 season due to heavy fuel loads and staff shortages.
Queensland Bushfire in 2026 – Introduction
Queensland bushfires are once again drawing close attention as the 2025-26 Australian bushfire season, which runs from August 2025 through May 2026, moves into its most active spring stretch. Fire agencies and rural fire brigade volunteers across the state have spent recent months warning that this season carries genuine elevated risk, driven by a combination of heavy grass and fuel loads left over from earlier rainfall, ongoing drought conditions in southern parts of the state, and documented staff shortages within volunteer fire brigades.
That warning has already begun playing out on the ground. This report covers the verified statistics behind Queensland’s current bushfire season, from the state’s share of the record area burned nationally in 2025 to the active fire response underway on the Southern Downs as of this report’s publication, alongside the historical data needed to put this season’s risk level in proper context.
Interesting Facts About Queensland Bushfires in 2026
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Queensland Area Burned, 2025 (NAFI Report) | 14.3 million hectares |
| National Ranking Among States/Territories | 3rd highest, behind NT and WA |
| 2025-26 National Bushfire Season Deaths (to date) | 5 |
| 2025-26 National Structures Destroyed (to date) | 959 (approx. 386 homes) |
| QLD Largest Land Manager | DETSI, managing 13+ million hectares of parks and forests |
| Active Fire, Sept. 22, 2026 | Nundubbermere, near Stanthorpe, Southern Downs |
| Households Evacuated (Stanthorpe fire) | 6 |
| Most Fires Occurred (2025) | October |
Data Source: North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information Service (NAFI), April 2026 Report; ABC News, September 22, 2026
These figures place Queensland’s fire activity within a genuinely significant national picture. The 14.3 million hectares burned across Queensland in 2025 trailed only the Northern Territory’s 29.6 million hectares and Western Australia’s 19 million hectares, according to NAFI’s first report of the year, released April 23, 2026, which mapped roughly 80% of the entire Australian continent using satellite data through Charles Darwin University.
That NAFI report also found 2025 was the second-largest area burnt nationally in the past decade, a finding that directly informed warnings from Queensland’s own rural fire volunteer network that the 2025-26 season could prove “worse than usual,” particularly across North Queensland, where large fuel loads were expected to dry out unusually early in the season.
Queensland Fire Statistics 2025-26 | Area Burned & National Comparison
2025 AREA BURNED BY STATE/TERRITORY (million hectares)
Northern Territory ███████████████████████████ 29.6
Western Australia ████████████████ 19.0
Queensland ██████████ 14.3
| State/Territory | 2025 Area Burned |
|---|---|
| Northern Territory | 29.6 million hectares |
| Western Australia | 19 million hectares |
| Queensland | 14.3 million hectares |
| Largest Single Fire (National, 2025) | 3.5 million hectares (NT’s Tanami Desert, 28 days) |
Data Source: North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information Service (NAFI), April 2026
Queensland’s 14.3 million hectares burned in 2025 reflects the vast, sparsely populated grazing and rangeland country across the state’s north and west, where large, remote grass fires can burn extensively without threatening population centers directly, a pattern distinct from the smaller, more destructive fires that tend to make national headlines closer to populated regions in the state’s south. NAFI’s satellite-based mapping methodology captures this rangeland fire activity in a way that ground-level, structure-loss reporting typically does not.
For national context, the single largest fire recorded anywhere in Australia during 2025 burned 3.5 million hectares in the Northern Territory’s Tanami Desert over 28 days, ignited by dry lightning, illustrating the scale that remote-area fires can reach across northern Australia’s fire-adapted rangeland ecosystems. For a broader look at how wildfire activity in another country compares in scale and cost, see Wildfire Statistics in US.
Today’s Bushfire Activity 2026 | The Southern Downs Fire
SOUTHERN DOWNS BUSHFIRE — SEPT 22, 2026 SNAPSHOT
Location Nundubbermere, near Stanthorpe
Distance from Brisbane ~230 km southwest
Households Evacuated 6
Cause Permitted burn that escaped containment
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Location | Nundubbermere, near Stanthorpe, Southern Downs |
| Distance from Brisbane | ~230 km southwest |
| Households Evacuated | 6 (precautionary) |
| Cause | A permitted burn that jumped containment lines weeks earlier |
| Status (as of Sept. 22, 2026) | Being monitored; cooler weather easing conditions |
Data Source: ABC News, September 22, 2026; Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
As of this report’s publication, emergency crews are actively monitoring a bushfire burning near Nundubbermere, south-west of Stanthorpe, on Queensland’s Southern Downs, roughly 230 kilometres southwest of Brisbane. Six households evacuated overnight as a precaution before returning home once cooler weather conditions eased the immediate threat. Queensland Rural Fire Service Chief Superintendent Shaun Toohey confirmed the fire began as a permitted burn that jumped its containment lines several weeks earlier, describing it as “an accidental piece that’s occurred” rather than a new ignition.
Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Melissa Hamilton described the drought-affected region as “bracing for a difficult bushfire season,” calling the incident a reminder for residents to remain cautious. Toohey noted that given current conditions, the fire would likely take “a couple of weeks to exhaust itself” on the landscape even with ongoing containment efforts from crews working alongside the affected property owner.
Queensland Bushfire Risk Outlook 2026 | Why This Season Could Be Worse
KEY RISK FACTORS CITED FOR THE 2025-26 SEASON
High fuel loads from earlier rainfall
Critical staff shortages in rural fire brigades
Delayed restocking around the Gulf since Dec-Jan floods
Drought conditions across southern Queensland
| Risk Factor | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fuel Loads | High, with large loads expected to dry off early in the season |
| Volunteer Staff Shortages | Described as “critical” by RFBAQ |
| Gulf Region Restocking | Has not kept pace with feed growth since Dec-Jan floods |
| Southern Queensland | Drought-affected, per Southern Downs Regional Council |
Data Source: Rural Fire Brigades Association of Queensland (RFBAQ); Queensland Country Life, April 2026
Rural Fire Brigades Association of Queensland general manager Justin Choveaux warned that North Queensland was “staring down the barrel of a worse-than-usual fire season,” pointing to a combination of large fuel loads set to dry off unusually early and critical staff shortages hampering brigades’ ability to prepare. Choveaux specifically flagged that restocking rates around the Gulf of Carpentaria have not kept pace with feed growth following December-January flooding, compounding the underlying fire risk heading into the dry season.
Conditions vary considerably by region within the state. In western Queensland, fire assessments conducted by Desert Channels Queensland found heavy rainfall in April and May 2025 had left the region “full of grass bulk,” which had since dried off, or “hayed off,” over winter, a classic precursor to elevated grassfire risk, even as forecasters simultaneously projected a wetter-than-average summer, making the season “tricky to predict.” The Queensland Rural Fire Service has responded by prioritizing hazard reduction burns and additional firebreaks specifically in grassland regions, with local brigades in areas like Longreach conducting multiple controlled burns ahead of peak season.
Firefighters & Resources 2026 | Who Responds to Queensland Bushfires
QUEENSLAND'S LARGEST LAND MANAGER
DETSI-managed parks & forests 13+ million hectares
Comparable to Twice the size of Tasmania
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Land Managed by DETSI | 13+ million hectares of parks and forests |
| Land Manager Ranking | Queensland’s largest |
| Comparable Area | Roughly twice the size of Tasmania |
| Fire Response Agency | Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), including the Rural Fire Service |
Data Source: Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI)
Queensland’s fire response draws on both dedicated firefighting agencies and the state’s own land management infrastructure. The Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) manages more than 13 million hectares of parks and forests, an area roughly twice the size of Tasmania, making it Queensland’s single largest land manager and a central player in year-round fire management planning, since fire plays a genuine ecological role in many of the fire-adapted landscapes under its care.
Actual firefighting response falls to Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), which oversees both career firefighters and the volunteer-staffed Rural Fire Service network referenced throughout this report. Past major Queensland bushfire events illustrate the scale of resources such responses can require: the 2018 Central Queensland bushfires alone drew 4,200 firefighters, including 1,200 brought in from interstate, supported by 59 aerial firefighting aircraft dropping 12 million litres of fire suppressant. For comparison with how a neighboring country’s fire agencies have prepared for their own 2026 season, see Canada Wildfire Statistics.
Historical Queensland Bushfires | How 2026 Compares
QUEENSLAND BUSHFIRE EVENTS COMPARED (hectares burned)
2018 Central Queensland bushfires █████ 1.4 million
2023-24 season (QLD total) ████ 911,778
2025 (NAFI calendar-year total) ██████████████████ 14.3 million
| Event | Area Burned | Deaths | Structures Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Central Queensland Bushfires | 1.4 million hectares | 1 | 36 destroyed, 89 damaged |
| 2023 Darling Downs Fires | 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) | 2 | 46 buildings destroyed |
| 2023-24 Season (QLD total) | 911,778 hectares | 5 | 70 homes |
| 2025 (NAFI calendar-year total) | 14.3 million hectares | N/A (rangeland fires) | N/A |
Data Source: Wikipedia Bushfire Season Archives; NAFI 2025 Report
Comparing recent Queensland bushfire events shows how dramatically the scale of “area burned” can vary depending on whether fires occur in populated agricultural and forest regions or remote rangeland country. The 2018 Central Queensland bushfires, which burned 1.4 million hectares including 110,000 hectares of Eungella National Park, caused far more direct structural and community disruption, destroying 36 structures and damaging 89 more, than the vastly larger 14.3 million hectares captured in NAFI’s 2025 calendar-year satellite mapping, most of which occurred across sparsely inhabited northern and western grazing land.
The 2023-24 bushfire season, part of a broader Australia-wide season that burned nearly 961,000 square kilometres nationally, one of the most destructive seasons on record for the country as a whole, saw Queensland specifically record 5 deaths and the loss of 70 homes across 911,778 hectares, underscoring that a season’s true severity for Queensland communities is measured as much by structural and human impact in populated areas as by raw hectares burned statewide.
Bushfire Prevention & Land Management 2026 | Hazard Reduction in Queensland
| Prevention Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Planned/Prescribed Burns | Reduce flammable vegetation buildup ahead of peak season |
| Firebreaks | Slow fire spread, prioritized in high-risk grassland areas |
| Bushfire Survival Plans | Household-level evacuation and shelter-in-place planning |
| Neighbourhood Safer Places | Designated local shelter locations during active threats |
Data Source: Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI); Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
Queensland’s primary defense against escalating bushfire risk centers on planned, or prescribed, burns, which DETSI describes as the state’s “most effective tool” for reducing the fuel loads that allow uncontrolled fires to spread rapidly and burn with greater intensity. These carefully managed burns, conducted well ahead of peak fire danger periods, aim to lower flammable vegetation buildup while supporting the health of Queensland’s many fire-adapted native ecosystems, which have evolved alongside regular fire over thousands of years.
At the household level, QFES recommends every Queensland resident maintain a personalised Bushfire Survival Plan covering both evacuation and stay-and-defend options, along with a backup plan should a first-choice option become unavailable. Residents are also encouraged to check their specific bushfire risk by postcode and identify their nearest Neighbourhood Safer Place, a local open space or building designated as shelter if a bushfire threatens with little warning, tools authorities are actively promoting given this season’s elevated risk profile.
Frequently Asked Questions About Queensland Bushfires in 2026
How much land burned in Queensland in 2025?
An estimated 14.3 million hectares burned across Queensland in 2025, the third-highest total of any Australian state or territory, according to NAFI’s April 2026 report.
Is Queensland’s 2025-26 bushfire season expected to be severe?
Yes. Rural fire volunteers have warned North Queensland faces a worse-than-usual season, citing high fuel loads and critical staff shortages.
What bushfire is currently burning in Queensland?
As of September 22, 2026, a bushfire near Nundubbermere, south-west of Stanthorpe on the Southern Downs prompted the evacuation of six households.
What caused the Stanthorpe-area bushfire?
Authorities said it originated from a permitted burn that jumped its containment lines several weeks earlier.
How does Queensland’s 2025 burned area compare nationally?
Queensland’s 14.3 million hectares trailed only the Northern Territory (29.6 million hectares) and Western Australia (19 million hectares).
How many people have died in the 2025-26 Australian bushfire season?
5 deaths have been recorded nationally as of the most recent update, alongside approximately 386 homes destroyed.
What is Queensland’s largest land manager?
The Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), which manages more than 13 million hectares of parks and forests.
How many firefighters responded to the 2018 Central Queensland bushfires?
4,200 firefighters, including 1,200 from interstate, supported by 59 aerial firefighting aircraft.
What is Queensland’s main bushfire prevention strategy?
Planned, or prescribed, burns, described by DETSI as the state’s most effective tool for reducing fuel loads ahead of peak fire season.
What should Queensland residents do to prepare for bushfire season?
QFES recommends creating a personalised Bushfire Survival Plan, checking bushfire risk by postcode, and identifying the nearest Neighbourhood Safer Place.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
