In September 2019, mass bushfires ripped through Stanthorpe, Queensland and surrounding areas, marking the beginning of the 2019-2020 Australian Black Summer Fires. Samaritan’s Purse Australian Disaster Relief teams responded to the needs of fire-affected individuals in Stanthorpe almost immediately and completed a two-week mission before relocating operations to fire-affected areas elsewhere in Australia.

In December 2020, Stanthorpe Shire Council contacted Samaritan’s Purse regarding several individuals within the region who still required assistance after the fires – particularly the removal of dangerous fire-affected trees from their properties. With additional financial grant support provided by Bendigo Bank via the Community Enterprise Foundation and assistance from local partner churches, Samaritan’s Purse was able to re-deploy volunteer teams to Stanthorpe in July 2021, resulting in a successful mission to assist these vulnerable families.