Since dry lightning ignited more than a dozen fires in Tasmania’s west on February 3, an estimated 94,000 hectares of diverse wilderness has been burned.
The fires are expected to burn for several more weeks.
Some of the state’s — and the country’s — unique and delicate environments, including Takayna/Tarkine, Australia’s largest temperate rainforest, and parts of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area have been burnt.
The Takayna/Tarkine does not have defined borders, but covers roughly 500,000 hectares. It is home to plant species that have thrived for millions of years, from the time Australia was connected to the Gondwana supercontinent.
The second fire, burning along Yellowband Plain and the Meredith Range, is near the town of Zeehan. The area is also home to an incredibly rare stand of untouched Huon pine, including one tree estimated to be 3,000 years old. Last week, the fire came within 30 metres of the stand.