A summary of the fires within the Geelong and surrounding region.
13 January 1939
Black Friday fires killed 71 people and destroyed more than 1300 buildings. Almost two million hectares of Victoria was burnt.
January 1969
A fire that started on the fringe of the You Yangs impacted the areas of Lara and Little River killed 18 individuals including 17 motorists on the Princes Highway (now the Princes Freeway). 43 homes in Lara were destroyed; 424 hectares of crop were destroyed along with 18,000 hectares of farmland and 6,000 head of sheep.
It was estimated that the fire travelled at an alarming 8-11 kilometres per hour due to WNW winds gusting to 119 kilometres per hour.
12 February 1977
This fire started approximately 6.5 kilometres east of Balliang. During the first hour the fire travelled 10.5 kilometres. Some two hours after the fire started it was on the outskirts of the Little River Township.
The area burnt was approximately 2,500 hectares.
16 February 1983
Ash Wednesday across Victoria and South Australia burnt approximately 300,000 hectares and killed 75 people. In Victoria, over 2000 homes and almost 210,000 hectares.
14 January 1985
Maryborough, Avoca and Little River hit by fires that destroyed 180 houses, 500 farms and 46,000 stock. Three people died.
The fire that impacted Little River, decimated the You Yangs, with 90% of the park burnt out in one hour. The fire was contained just south of the Princes Highway (now the Princes Freeway) and had destroyed 4,500 stock, 275 kilometres of fencing, more than 50 farm buildings including five farm houses.
A total of 10,000 hectares were blackened. Two people lost their lives.
20 January 2006
Anakie (Brisbane Ranges) hit by fire that encompasses 6,708 hectares and destroys 35 buildings including three houses and three woolsheds.
7 February 2009
Back Saturday. 173 people sadly lost their lives. 414 persons suffered minor to life changing injuries, more than a million native and domestic animals were lost and 450,000 hectares of land where burned, 3,500 buildings including 2,000 homes were destroyed.
19 December 2015
WYE River bushfire. 2520 hectares burnt significant loss of homes and buildings.
7 December 2018
Little River/Lara grass fire. About 1285 hectares were burnt with numerous sheds and out buildings were destroyed. Nil homes destroyed.
For more details on bushfires in Victoria and Australia go to the major fires page on the Country Fire Authority (CFA) website.