 In 1997 a major fire burned close to 1,435 km2 of the forest.An extremely dry winter and spring in 2006 saw a number of large fires develop, including the Pilliga 4 Fire in November/December which burned out 740 km2 on just its first day.Towns in the area include Narrabri, Pilliga, Gwabegar, Baradine, Coonabarabran, Boggabri and Baan Baa.