The Grampians Bushfire – What Happened, What’s Next and How to Prepare
When the Grampians burn, Australia watches.
In the summer of 2024–25, the ancient sandstone ranges of Gariwerd turned from golden ridges to lines of fire visible from space. Whole valleys vanished in smoke, and families in Halls Gap packed their lives into the back seat. The Grampians bushfire wasn’t just another headline—it was a test of how well Victoria can live with a changing climate, and how prepared we really are for what comes next.
How the 2024-25 Grampians Bushfire Unfolded
To understand what happened behind these dramatic scenes, let’s look at how the fire actually unfolded.
Ignition — When and Where It Began
The blaze ignited in mid-December 2024 when dry lightning struck the southern Grampians region, inside and around the national park. Parks Victoria later confirmed the first ignition at Yarram Gap Road on 17 December 2024.
Within 24 hours, the fire expanded from about 500 hectares to more than 5,000. Hot, gusty north-westerly winds and tinder-dry fuel fed the rapid spread.
Rapid Escalation Across the Park
By late December, the flames had already crested several ridges. They pushed into the Victoria Range and spilled onto nearby farmland. New lightning strikes on 27 January 2025 sparked further outbreaks that merged with the initial blaze, creating a massive contiguous fireground.
According to Emergency Victoria, total burn area exceeded 76,000 hectares — nearly four-fifths of the park and adjoining properties.
Communities such as Halls Gap, Mafeking and Moyston came under Watch & Act or even Leave Now alerts. Powerlines fell. More than 1,000 homes lost electricity. Communication towers were also damaged.
Emergency Response and Containment
Hundreds of CFA, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Parks Victoria personnel joined forces with aerial tankers and heavy machinery. Fire containment lines gradually held through January. The Yarram Gap section was declared contained on 6 January, and the Wallaby Rocks sector on 8 February 2025.
The fire’s timeline — from ignition to containment — illustrates how swiftly a bushfire in the Grampians can evolve from sparks to a statewide emergency.
Impact of the 2024–25 Grampians Bushfire
When the flames finally receded, the impact became clearer — not just in numbers but in lived experience.
Human and Property Losses
Authorities confirmed four homes destroyed, more than 40 outbuildings damaged, and livestock losses across rural holdings. Farmers described “helplessness watching the mountains burn.” Power outages and road closures stretched for days. Entire communities faced evacuation trauma, then the long wait to return.
Environmental and Wildlife Impact
The Grampians / Gariwerd region shelters unique biodiversity — orchids, ancient rock formations, and species like the southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby. Vast portions of its habitat were burnt. Parks Victoria launched emergency wildlife response programs: feed stations, predator control, and monitoring of small mammal recovery.
Economic and Community Fallout
Tourism — the lifeblood of Halls Gap and surrounding towns — was hit hard. Park closures, cancelled bookings and months of uncertainty eroded seasonal revenue. Shops relying on hikers and campers saw abrupt downturns.
Beyond numbers, there’s emotional fallout. Residents speak of loss, fatigue, and cautious hope. As one local put it: “We’ll rebuild, but the landscape will never look the same.”
The bushfire Grampians tragedy therefore extends beyond burnt trees; it touches every element of community resilience.
Grampians Bushfire Recovery and Regrowth
Out of devastation, small green shoots have begun to appear — literally and figuratively.
Immediate Recovery Efforts
By early 2025, state agencies and Parks Victoria had already begun large-scale recovery work. This included road repairs, hazard-tree removal and reopening safe sections of tracks and campgrounds. According to Parks Victoria, more than A$1.88 million had been spent on initial recovery by mid-year.
Some popular sites — Mount Rosea Walk, Borough Huts Campground, and Tunnel Walk — have reopened after safety checks.
Environmental Restoration
Wildlife teams continue long-term monitoring. Camera traps record returning wallabies; seed banks and nurseries re-introduce native flora. Predator control programs protect recovering populations.
Cultural heritage is integral too. The land of the Djab Wurrung, Jadawadjali and Gunditjmara peoples is being rehabilitated with Indigenous ranger collaboration — blending ecological science and traditional knowledge.
Signs of Renewal and Hope
Months after the containment, the mountains already show life. Regrowth pushes through ash; bird calls return. Community groups host volunteer days, raise funds for CFA brigades, and promote responsible eco-tourism.
Recovery here doesn’t mean going back in time. It means evolving — turning lessons from the Grampians bushfire into preparedness and respect for a changing climate.
How to Prepare for Bushfires in Victoria / the Grampians Region
The Grampians fire also highlighted a more practical lesson — the importance of preparedness. With that in mind, here’s a clear, actionable guide for residents and visitors in fire-prone regions.
1. Understand your risk and plan
Check your property’s bush-fire-attack-level (BAL) and fuel-load around your house.
Create a written plan: when you evacuate, where you go, what you take.
The time to prepare is before drying conditions and wind change. The Grampians fire showed why — it expanded ten-fold in just a single day.
2. Prepare your home
Clear gutters, remove leaf litter, maintain a 20-30 metre defendable space where vegetation is managed.
Prune low branches, keep shrubs away from the house, fit ember guards on vents.
Consider installing a reliable backup power solution: if powerlines go down (as they did around the Grampians) your fridge, communications, and lighting stay on. A home backup generator or a fully installed home battery backup system makes a difference.
If your property depends on powered communication or medical devices, consider having a high-capacity portable power station on hand.
Models like the DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station can support essential appliances during prolonged bushfire-related outages, offering a quieter, fuel-free alternative to generators.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station
3. Build redundancy
Have alternative communications ready: a battery-charged radio, multiple ways to receive warnings.
Store extra water, food, medications that could be needed if you can’t return home for days.
A step-by-step checklist:
Turn off gas, reduce combustibles near the house.
If leaving: lights on, windows/doors closed, key documents and pets ready.
If sheltering: use a room with external exit, have evacuation gear ready.
Many people assume “I’ll just wait and see” – in fact most danger comes from very rapid changes. The Grampians fire showed wind shifts rapidly escalated risk.
4. Stay informed and act early
Download the official state emergency app (eg. the Vic Emergency app) for real-time warnings.
If you’re holidaying or visiting the Grampians region, monitor fire-conditions in and around the park, and avoid entry into closed zones.
Make sure neighbours and households coordinate: one property defending space helps everyone.
5. Consider longer-term resilience
If you’re designing or retrofitting a home in a bushfire-prone region, use non-combustible materials, limit roof eaves, and ensure emergency vehicle access.
For households wanting higher resilience, build home battery backup system options or integrate solar + battery, so critical loads stay operational when the grid is cut pre-emptively. This approach is becoming standard in resilient home design — not only for bushfires but for storms, heatwaves and other disruptions.
In short: preparation isn’t just for “someone else” – if you’re in or visiting fire-prone bushland, you owe it to yourself and your community to act now. The bushfires in the Grampians were a wake-up call.
Conclusion
The 2024–25 Grampians bushfire was a dramatic event that underscored how fast fire can move through dry forest, how many layers of impact a single blaze can have, and how important preparation is for everyone living in or visiting bushfire-prone areas. The story is still unfolding: recovery is under way, but the lessons remain. By planning ahead, inspecting your home, installing backup power options such as a home generator, and knowing how to prepare for power outage conditions during high-risk periods, you can transform risk into readiness.
FAQs
Is the fire in the Grampians still burning?
No — the major fire in the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) region was declared contained in early 2025. For example, the Wallaby Rocks section was reported as contained on 8 February 2025, and the earlier Yarram Gap section was under control by mid-January.
However, “contained” does not mean that all risk has passed. Hot-spots, hazard trees, damaged infrastructure and recovery operations continue in the area, and conditions remain bush-fire prone. Visitors and local residents should still monitor official updates, respect closure notices and remain alert.
When was the last bushfire in the Grampians, Victoria?
The most recent major bushfire in the Grampians occurred during the 2024–25 fire season. Initial ignitions began in mid-December 2024, and additional lightning-driven outbreaks in January 2025 later merged to create a single, extensive fireground. Historically, the region has experienced other significant events — such as the 2006 Mount Lubra bushfire — but the December 2024 to February 2025 blaze stands as the latest large-scale fire to substantially affect access, biodiversity and infrastructure across the Grampians.
What started the Grampians fire?
The initial ignition of the 2024-25 blaze in the Grampians region was caused by dry lightning strikes in the southern part of the national park (Gariwerd)—specifically on 17 December 2024. Subsequent fires also began from lightning in late January (27 January) which merged with the earlier fire front. The extreme fire behaviour was assisted by very dry fuel loads, high temperatures and wind shifts.
Where are the bushfires in the Grampians?
The fires impacted areas within and around the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park in western Victoria. Key affected zones include the southern section of the park, Victoria Range, Victoria Point, Victoria Valley and Wallaby Rocks. Some private agricultural lands adjacent to the park margins were also burnt. Visitor access has been partially reopened in many places but closures persist in the more severely affected zones—so if you’re planning a visit to the Grampians region, always check the latest updates from Parks Victoria and local authorities.