Canberra bushfire history from 2003 to Orroral Valley
The ACT Government says four people died and 500 homes were destroyed in the January 2003 Canberra bushfires (20th anniversary statement). In 2020 the Orroral Valley fire burned over 80% of Namadgi National Park and 22% of Tidbinbilla (recovering from the 2020 bushfires). A state of emergency was declared in the ACT on 31 January 2020 because of the threat from that fire (Chief Health Officer's report).
Fire response in the territory sits with the ACT Emergency Services Agency, made up of the ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Fire and Rescue, the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT State Emergency Service and ESA Enabling Services (about the ESA). Test Australia has no emergency role. It assesses residue in buildings once they can be entered.
The 2019–20 smoke season and Canberra homes
The ACT Chief Health Officer reports that bushfire smoke affected the ACT continuously from 28 November 2019 to 28 January 2020. On 5 January 2020, ACT Health's Florey monitoring station recorded a peak one-hour PM2.5 average of 2,496 µg/m³. The ACT Government's bushfire smoke and air quality strategy says Canberra's air quality was rated the worst in the world on 1 January 2020.
ACT Health runs monitoring stations at Monash, Florey and Civic. Even in homes kept closed during the event, smoke can find its way inside over weeks. Common requests include homes and contents exposed to smoke for weeks, where an owner or insurer wants to know whether residue remains on surfaces.
Who asks for fire residue testing in Canberra
- Owners after a house, garage or kitchen fire who want to know where residue sits before repairs begin.
- Insurers and loss adjusters who need measured results before a scope of works is agreed.
- Lessors and tenants after a fire in a rented home.
- Owners corporations where smoke travelled through a shared building.
- Owners deciding about furniture and belongings, covered in our contents salvage guide.
What a Canberra fire residue assessment samples
Sampling can include surface wipes or tape lifts for soot, char and ash, and analysis for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) or other combustion products where they are relevant and agreed in the scope. The report names the laboratory and states any accreditation that applies. Test Australia itself is not NATA-accredited.
Read more on PAH testing after fire, the national fire damage testing page and our fire contamination assessment guide.
Criteria and insurance decisions after a Canberra fire
Test Australia has not found ACT guidance setting limits for fire residue inside homes. Each report therefore names the criterion every result is compared with and explains the choice. Decisions about cleaning, replacement and cost belong to the owner and insurer. Whether a tribunal, court or insurer relies on a report is a decision for them. The fire insurance claims guide explains the claim process.
Sampling before strip-out begins in Canberra
Residue removed before sampling cannot be measured afterwards. Tell us whether cleaning or strip-out has started, and any claim or repair deadline, when you enquire. Test Australia does not clean or remediate, as set out in why we stay independent, and what to do when contamination is found covers the next steps.
See the types of assessment work we carry out, the bushfire season guide and the Canberra hub. Firefighting water can leave damp behind, which mould inspection in Canberra addresses, and bacteria testing in Canberra covers sewage and flood events.
From a Canberra fire to a signed residue report
- Report the fire and any deadlines. Send the Canberra address, the date of the fire or smoke event, any claim number and any planned repair or strip-out date.
- Scope the residue question. The fee proposal sets out the areas, the analyses such as PAH where relevant, and what the report is for.
- Surface sampling. Suitably qualified occupational hygienists collect wipes or tape lifts from the agreed areas under chain of custody.
- Signed report against named criteria. Results are set against the criterion named for each analysis. Reports are available within 5 business days of the laboratory results being received.
Fire and smoke residue questions in Canberra
Is there an ACT limit for soot or smoke residue inside a home?
Test Australia has not found ACT guidance setting limits for fire residue inside homes. Each report therefore names the criterion every result is compared with and explains the choice. The Canberra report also states the limits of the sampling and which areas were not covered.
Can a Canberra home be tested after bushfire smoke rather than a direct fire?
Yes. Long smoke events have reached Canberra before, such as the continuous period from 28 November 2019 to 28 January 2020 recorded by the ACT Chief Health Officer. After any smoke event, surface sampling shows what remains on the areas tested.
How poor was Canberra air quality during the 2019–20 fires?
ACT Health's Florey station recorded a peak one-hour PM2.5 average of 2,496 µg/m³ on 5 January 2020. The ACT Government says Canberra's air quality was rated the worst in the world on 1 January 2020. Test Australia measures residue inside buildings, not outdoor air.
Should a Canberra home be sampled before cleaning after a fire?
Where possible, yes, because residue removed before sampling cannot be measured afterwards. If strip-out or cleaning in your Canberra home has already begun, sampling shows what remains. Tell us any insurer or repair deadline when you enquire so the visit can be planned around it.
Does a Canberra fire report decide what must be replaced?
No. It reports results against named criteria and states its limits. Decisions about cleaning, replacement and cost belong to the owner and insurer. Whether a tribunal, court or insurer relies on a report is a decision for them. The report reads the same whoever commissions it.
Who responds to fires in the ACT?
Within the ACT Emergency Services Agency, ACT Fire and Rescue and the ACT Rural Fire Service respond to fires. The agency also includes the ACT Ambulance Service, the ACT State Emergency Service and ESA Enabling Services. Test Australia has no emergency role. It assesses residue once the building can be entered.
Can contents from a Canberra fire be tested?
Yes, where the scope includes them. Wipes or tape lifts can be taken from furniture and other belongings to show whether soot, char or ash residue remains. The report states the criterion used for each result. Decisions on salvage stay with the owner and insurer.
Who analyses fire residue samples taken in Canberra?
An independent laboratory analyses them, and the report names the laboratory and states any accreditation that applies. Test Australia itself is not NATA-accredited. Reports are available within 5 business days of the laboratory results being received. Every report is signed and sets out its limitations.