2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires

Called the bushfires in Victoria in 2003, and Great Divide Fire Complex, as 87 single bush fire ignited by lightning strikes in the northeast of Victoria on 8 January 2003. Eight of them could not be deleted, and formed one of the largest bushfires in Victoria since Black Friday, 1939.

The main fire burned within 59 days an area of ​​over 13,000 square kilometers, before it could be deleted on 7 March 2003. 41 houses were destroyed, killing more than 9000 head of cattle and thousands of kilometers of fences burned. This fire was at that time the longest burning bush fire that was later surpassed by the bushfires in Victoria 2006/2007 with 69 days duration.

In February, at the height of this fire, 3760 people were affected by this fire, without regard to the firefighters. A total of 15 725 firefighters and 160 employees of the Australian military forces, more than 300 firefighters from other states of Australia, 33 fire service experts with alpine experience from New Zealand and 35 from the United States were in use.

The affected areas were at Mount Buffalo, Mount Bogong, Mount Feathertop to Bright, Dinner Plain, Benambra, Omeo, Cobrungo, Shannonvale, Bundara, Anglers Rest, Sunnyside, Glen Wills and Dargo.