The Black Saturday BushfiresBlack Saturday developed out of some of the worst fire conditions Victoria has ever recorded. Bushfires ravaging over 78 Victorian communities on February 7th and 8th were the result of record-high temperatures, strong winds and a severe drought. Black Saturday is the most devastating bushfire to date, having taken so many lives, burning an abundance of land and destroying many homes and residences.
Weather
In the days leading up to the 7th of February, Victoria was experiencing temperatures of over 40°C; and during the months beforehand there was extremely low rainfall and hot, dry conditions. On Black Saturday, temperatures reached 46°C and the winds were exceeding 100km/h. The hot, dry weather helped in the ignition of the fires and the winds played a huge part in expanding the fires and leading them around Victoria. |
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Location
The Black Saturday bushfires affected the townships of: Kilmore East, Horsham, Coleraine, Pomborneit, Weerite, Churchill, Murrindindi, Redesdale, Narre Warren, Upper Ferntree Gully, Bendigo, Marysville, Narbethong, Flowerdale and Strathewen. The first couple of fires started in Kilmore East and Horsham and the wind helped them intensify and move a lot faster. The Kilmore East fire front reached Strathewen and Kinglake, and a fire that started in Marysville moved to Narbethong. Many other fires were ignited all over country Victoria; in places like Beechworth, Dandenong, Gippsland and Redesdale; as the temperature increased and the winds grew stronger. Impacts
The Black Saturday bushfires had many impacts on Victorian communities and the environment. Overall, 173 people tragically died, 414 people were left injured, over 2,100 homes were destroyed and 7,562 people were left without homes. The power of the fires was equal to that of 1,500 Hiroshima atomic bombs and 1,100,000 acres of land across Victoria was burnt. The bushfires showed home-owners the importance of being prepared for bushfires, and the Royal Commission reviewed the Black Saturday bushfires and came up with new recommendations for bushfire safety and all aspects of bushfires. Read the recommendations made by the Royal Commission here Read more about bushfire safety here |
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