 Fires occurred in the Stawell (Deep Lead) area in early January, and in the Yea, Moondarra,
Grampians, Kinglake and Anakie regions in mid-late January.On 24 September 2006, bushfires began burning in various places in the Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven, Hawkesbury River and Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia.Declarations under Section 44 of the "Rural Fires Act, 1997" were issued by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service for the Newcastle, Hawkesbury/Baulkham, Redhead (Lake Macquarie), Shoalhaven and Wollondilly bushfires, enabling the "Commissioner is to take charge of bush fire fighting operations and bush fire prevention measures and to take such measures as the Commissioner considers necessary to control or suppress any bush fire in any part of the State..." Seven (7) houses were burned out, four at Picton, and also Thirlmere, and Oakdale.