Devastating bushfires in the Grampians National Park, Australia
The Grampians National Park, a nature reserve in Victoria, Australia, is known for its waterfalls, wildlife, and Aboriginal heritage. However, since December 2024, the park has been affected by a series of bushfires which have destroyed homes and devastated wildlife.
The first of the fires, called the Yarram Gap fire, was started by lightning on 17 December, affecting the eastern side of the park and burning one-third of its total area. Though that fire had been contained on 6 January 2025, new outbreaks of blazes have continued to place local communities and ecosystems at risk in the western part of the park. As of 5 February, almost 600 firefighters were battling the ongoing fires in Grampians as emergency crews worked to provide assistance to affected communities.
These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images, acquired on 18 December 2024, 1 January 2025, and 6 February 2025, show the increasing amount of burnt area left in the Grampians National Park. The burn scars visible in the two later images clearly exhibit the progression of the fires’ extent.
The open data provided by the Copernicus Sentinel satellites is key to monitoring and mapping the extent and effects of wildfires around the world, informing damage assessments and supporting emergency management efforts.
