The darker regions are where fire weather has been dangerous most often since 2022. Western Australia - Outback (South) is at the top of that list. 88
Regions on the map
Regions across the states and the ACT. Offshore territories are left off.
13.7 million
People in darker-than-average regions
49.6% of the population lives where dangerous weather is above the national middle.
87.6%
Heat in those regions
Share of this week's satellite heat in the above-average half of the map.
6
Aircraft on the map
Filled markers are the recommended bases. Hollow markers are the biggest-cities line-up where it differs.
NT Outback
Highest planning priority
Northern Territory - Outback. The region that counts most once people, dangerous weather and this week's heat are looked at together.
Where the risk sits, and where the aircraft would wait
Fire weather
People
Heat this week
Planning mix
Australia shaded by fire weather, with recommended aircraft bases Capital Region: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 248,376 people Central Coast: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 357,816 people Central West: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 216,979 people Coffs Harbour - Grafton: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 152,331 people Far West and Orana: 17.5 dangerous days a year, 118,372 people Hunter Valley exc Newcastle: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 316,250 people Illawarra: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 330,469 people Mid North Coast: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 239,566 people Murray: 8.8 dangerous days a year, 130,078 people New England and North West: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 191,401 people Newcastle and Lake Macquarie: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 412,359 people Richmond - Tweed: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 265,824 people Riverina: 1.0 dangerous days a year, 166,404 people Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 165,285 people Sydney - Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 295,667 people Sydney - Blacktown: 1.0 dangerous days a year, 452,374 people Sydney - City and Inner South: 1.2 dangerous days a year, 369,674 people Sydney - Eastern Suburbs: 1.0 dangerous days a year, 280,449 people Sydney - Inner South West: 2.0 dangerous days a year, 642,157 people Sydney - Inner West: 2.0 dangerous days a year, 324,297 people Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 447,312 people Sydney - Northern Beaches: 1.0 dangerous days a year, 272,656 people Sydney - Outer South West: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 323,758 people Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 350,649 people Sydney - Parramatta: 1.5 dangerous days a year, 535,540 people Sydney - Ryde: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 218,606 people Sydney - South West: 1.0 dangerous days a year, 527,701 people Sydney - Sutherland: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 240,174 people Ballarat: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 184,285 people Bendigo: 4.0 dangerous days a year, 173,769 people Geelong: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 355,990 people Hume: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 189,765 people Latrobe - Gippsland: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 313,733 people Melbourne - Inner: 1.8 dangerous days a year, 713,493 people Melbourne - Inner East: 0.8 dangerous days a year, 405,012 people Melbourne - Inner South: 1.8 dangerous days a year, 454,338 people Melbourne - North East: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 596,605 people Melbourne - North West: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 473,116 people Melbourne - Outer East: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 536,368 people Melbourne - South East: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 958,772 people Melbourne - West: 2.0 dangerous days a year, 980,300 people Mornington Peninsula: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 317,586 people North West: 5.2 dangerous days a year, 153,762 people Shepparton: 1.5 dangerous days a year, 138,645 people Warrnambool and South West: 2.0 dangerous days a year, 128,320 people Brisbane - East: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 258,510 people Brisbane - North: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 244,037 people Brisbane - South: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 412,436 people Brisbane - West: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 204,443 people Brisbane Inner City: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 335,571 people Cairns: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 271,408 people Darling Downs - Maranoa: 1.5 dangerous days a year, 134,169 people Central Queensland: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 244,220 people Gold Coast: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 708,085 people Ipswich: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 419,370 people Logan - Beaudesert: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 420,157 people Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 193,813 people Moreton Bay - North: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 300,041 people Moreton Bay - South: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 238,959 people Queensland - Outback: 19.0 dangerous days a year, 82,563 people Sunshine Coast: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 441,508 people Toowoomba: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 175,707 people Townsville: 1.0 dangerous days a year, 249,097 people Wide Bay: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 335,670 people Adelaide - Central and Hills: 0.2 dangerous days a year, 338,950 people Adelaide - North: 4.8 dangerous days a year, 492,185 people Adelaide - South: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 396,764 people Adelaide - West: 1.5 dangerous days a year, 263,116 people Barossa - Yorke - Mid North: 13.8 dangerous days a year, 120,651 people South Australia - Outback: 40.8 dangerous days a year, 85,925 people South Australia - South East: 6.5 dangerous days a year, 205,074 people Bunbury: 0.5 dangerous days a year, 210,962 people Mandurah: 9.2 dangerous days a year, 127,502 people Perth - Inner: 5.5 dangerous days a year, 212,390 people Perth - North East: 6.2 dangerous days a year, 324,644 people Perth - North West: 7.0 dangerous days a year, 657,092 people Perth - South East: 5.8 dangerous days a year, 611,748 people Perth - South West: 8.5 dangerous days a year, 519,389 people Western Australia - Wheat Belt: 13.8 dangerous days a year, 149,617 people Western Australia - Outback (North): 43.8 dangerous days a year, 102,732 people Western Australia - Outback (South): 90.2 dangerous days a year, 128,306 people Hobart: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 255,250 people Launceston and North East: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 156,393 people South East: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 44,527 people West and North West: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 120,091 people Darwin: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 159,284 people Northern Territory - Outback: 54.2 dangerous days a year, 105,272 people Australian Capital Territory: 0.0 dangerous days a year, 484,630 people Kununurra Alice Springs Longreach Kalgoorlie Boulder Tamworth Mildura Fewer dangerous days More dangerous days
Fewer people More people
No heat this week Most heat this week
Lower priority Higher priority
Filled markers are recommended bases. Hollow rings are biggest-city bases that the recommendation does not use. A gold ring means the base is in both lists.
Regions with the most dangerous fire weather in a typical year 90.2 days Western Australia - Outback (South) 90.2 days Northern Territory - Outback 54.2 days Western Australia - Outback (North) 43.8 days South Australia - Outback 40.8 days Queensland - Outback 19.0 days Far West and Orana 17.5 days Barossa - Yorke - Mid North 13.8 days Western Australia - Wheat Belt 13.8 days
Where the people are 980,300 Melbourne - West 980,300 Melbourne - South East 958,772 Melbourne - Inner 713,493 Gold Coast 708,085 Perth - North West 657,092 Sydney - Inner South West 642,157 Perth - South East 611,748 Melbourne - North East 596,605
Where this week's satellite heat is concentrated 3,394 Queensland - Outback 3,394 Northern Territory - Outback 2,734 Western Australia - Outback (North) 2,335 Townsville 550 Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday 501 Central Queensland 418 Cairns 168 Darling Downs - Maranoa 150
Regions that matter most for placing the aircraft 9.4 Northern Territory - Outback 9.4 Queensland - Outback 7.9 Western Australia - Outback (North) 7.8 Western Australia - Outback (South) 7.1 South Australia - Outback 3.3 Melbourne - West 1.9 Melbourne - South East 1.7 Perth - North West 1.7
What this means Use the filters to switch the shading between fire weather, people, this week's heat, and the mix used to place aircraft. A base is only useful if it sits within 90 minutes of the places that light up.
Exact values Share of the planning mix Region State People Heat detections Share of the planning mix Northern Territory - Outback NT 105,272 2,734 9.36 Queensland - Outback Qld 82,563 3,394 7.88 Western Australia - Outback (North) WA 102,732 2,335 7.82 Western Australia - Outback (South) WA 128,306 25 7.11 South Australia - Outback SA 85,925 23 3.28 Melbourne - West Vic 980,300 1 1.93 Melbourne - South East Vic 958,772 0 1.74 Perth - North West WA 657,092 0 1.72
As at 14 November 2026, 9:33 am AEDT. Times are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, UTC+11).
Not a dispatch plan. Satellite heat is not a confirmed bushfire. Aircraft speed, the 15 minutes allowed to get airborne, and the 90-minute window are planning assumptions.
Satellite heat: Digital Earth Australia Hotspots, Geoscience Australia, CC BY 4.0. Recent public feed only.
Weather and the week ahead: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Population at 30 June 2025 and region boundaries: Australian Bureau of Statistics, CC BY 4.0. Population figures for 2025 are preliminary.
Airports and runways: OurAirports, public domain.