1993 - 1994, December - January, North Coast
, Hunter and Sydney bushfire
- Four dead - two civilians and two fire fighters
- 800 fires destroyed 800,000 hectares
- 225 homes and other buildings destroyed and a further 150 damaged
- Evacuations - 27,250 people
- Firefighters - estimated 20,000
Widespread severe bushfires occurred as extreme weather conditions began to develop along the NSW eastern seaboard from the Queensland border to Batemans Bay in the south, and as far inland as Bathurst.
In excess of 800 fires started between 27 December 1993 and 16 January 1994. Ultimately over
800,000 hectares were burnt. 204 significant bushfires were burning at the
height of the crisis. Worst-affected areas were the Hunter, Blue Mountains and Sydney regions.
The most serious losses occurred in fires in the Sydney region, in particular at Jannali and West Como, where about half of the total homes lost in the State were destroyed. Two fire-fighters and two civilians died. One of the civilians was a woman who sheltered in a swimming pool at Jannali, but died of airway burns due to the intense heat of the air she was breathing.
A total of 225 buildings were destroyed and about 150 homes were damaged, varying from minor to serious. Also thousands of small insurance claims were lodged for minor damage (eg smoke damage to soft furnishings) or food spoilage due to lack of refrigeration caused by widespread blackouts. Approximately 27,250 people evacuated - 20,000 fire-fighters deployed from across Australia and New Zealand for over three weeks as hot westerly winds persisted. Some 40 national parks were affected.