Feb 24, 2010 the black saturday bushfires, were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the australian state of victoria on and around saturday 7 february 2009 during extreme bushfireweather. This forest crown fire swept through state forest and. This day coincided with the worst bushfire weather conditions ever recorded. The most significant fire was the kinglake fire complex, named following the merge of the kilmore east and murrindindi fires on 8 february. In less than 10 years, victoria has experienced three devastating fire events in 2003, 2007 and now 2009, something that has never before occurred in living memory or recorded history. It was calculated that threequarters of the state of victoria was directly or indirectly affected by the disaster, while other australian states and the australian. February 7, 2009 will be forever etched on most victorians minds as the start of australias worst ever bushfires.
I was doing when the initial news coverage of what became the worst bushfire in. Oct 12, 2011 after the 2009 fires, a national day of mourning was announced to mark the anniversary of black saturday. Februarymarch 2009 victorian bushfires may be relevant to febmarch bushfires, but does not fit the scope of this article which deals with fires that started on the 7th or early feb at max definition. On saturday 7 february 2009, 173 people lost their lives and more than 2000 houses were destroyed in bushfires wildfires in the australian state of victoria. A total of 173 people died in the fires and 2029 houses were lost. Impacts of the january 2009 heatwave and black saturday bushfires in melbournes east the january heat wave of 2009 across melbourne was of unprecedented intensity and duration with maximum temperatures 1215 degrees celsius above normal, and 3 consecutive days of temperatures above 43 degrees celsius. In 2011, he jointly won the prime ministers prize for australian history for his 2010 book bad characters. The lives of many victorians were changed forever, and many. Cameron pa1, mitra b, fitzgerald m, scheinkestel cd, stripp a, batey c, niggemeyer l, truesdale m, holman p, mehra r, wasiak j, cleland h. The 2009 victorian firestorm resulted in the worst loss of life from any recorded australian bushfire. Extreme heat, high winds, low humidity, and severe drought were all factors in fanning the flames on that tragic day.
Bushfires in victoria, 78 february 2009 victoria experienced extreme fire weather conditions on saturday 7 february that led to the tragic losses. The black saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that either ignited or were already burning across the australian state of victoria on and around saturday, 7 february 2009, and were among australias alltime worst bushfire disasters. An analysis of fire throughout australias history, including social and political issues, with black saturday and the authors personal. The scale of life and property loss raised fundamental questions about community bushfire safety in australia, in particular the appropriateness of the prepare, stay and defend or leave early policy.
The black saturday bushfires were a series of fires that ignited across the australian state of victoria during extreme weather conditions on 7 february 2009. Black saturday bushfires is part of wikiproject fire service, which collaborates on fire servicerelated subjects on wikipedia. Victoria is known for its amazing wildlife and especially their parklands and unique forests however due to the intense bush fires on black saturday, their will be unrecognisable for many years to come. Quotes on 2009 victorian bushfires references death toll may reach more than 40. Approximately 400 fires were recorded across victoria affecting 78 communities. The bushfires left the state of victoria devastated yet some people are moving into areas at most risk if they occur again. The bushfires that devastated victoria on the 7th of february 2009 all but wiped our tiny little community of strathewen off the face of the planet. The content of this video contains scenes that have not been originally produced by the editors. Black saturday at steels creek book scribe publications. Reactions to the black saturday bushfire crisis wikipedia. All i did through the fire was exactly what cfg instruction book said. Voices from the 2009 black saturday bush fires, is a book of poetry by australian poet, frank prem, about horrific wildfires across the australian state of victoria in 2009. Ten of those victims died in steels creek, a small community on melbournes outskirts. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project andor contribute to the discussion.
Dr peter stanley is a professor of history at the university of new south wales, canberra. Today marks the ten year anniversary of the black saturday. The black saturday bushfire in australia as an extreme weather event. The bushfires of black saturday, 7 february 2009, caused the death of 173 people. She covered the aftermath of the black saturday fires from kinglake and reported on the hearings of the 2009 victorian bushfires royal commission.
Black saturday australian broadcasting corporation. After the 2009 fires, a national day of mourning was announced to mark the anniversary of black saturday. Impacts of the january 2009 heatwave and black saturday. Burning around 450,000 ha for over a month, the fires destroyed over 2,100 homes, destroyed several regional towns and were fought by over 5,000 firefighting personnel. Black saturday fires from kinglake and reported on the hearings of the 2009 victorian bushfires royal commission. Mar 18, 2012 this analysis serves to report back on the 2009 black saturday fires of victoria, australia. Report on the black saturday bush fires blacksaturdaybushfire. The 2009 black saturday bushfires australia youtube. The killing of julie ramage, also published by hachette australia. The effects of the black saturday bushfires 2 months on. Facts and statistics about the black saturday fires the black saturday bushfires killed 173 people, injured 414 people, destroyed 2,100 homes and displaced 7,562 people the energy that the black saturday bushfires released is equivalent to one thousand five hundred of the atomic bombs that struck hiroshima. A region of extremely hot air had persisted over inland southeastern australia since the last week of january and had resulted in several temperature records being exceeded. I have come to the small town of marysville located in northeast victoria, a community devastated by the black saturday bushfire with 45 lives lost and 90% of the towns buildings. The reasons for the bushfires, the way they were dealt with and the.
The fires occurred during extreme bushfire weather conditions and resulted in australias highestever loss of human life from a bushfire, with 173. Only the subsequent ash wednesday bushfires in 1983 and the black saturday bushfires in 2009 resulted in more deaths. As summer arrives, so do the fires, and dad is busy helping control the flames in bushfires that have started burning in victoria. Official end to bushfire cleanup abc news australian. How it happened damages australia suffered an extreme heat wave with temperatures peaking at 45. Australian exploration stage 5 geography 2nd edition most information was taken from this amazing textbook. Flames rise in bunyip state forest, east of melbourne, in 2009. Not the end of the story, history of australia by peg.
The effects of the black saturday bushfires it has been nearly 2 months since the horrific bushfires and the effects will continue to last well into the future. Black saturday wrote itself into victorias history with recordbreaking weather conditions and bushfires of a scale and ferocity that tested human endurance. The black saturday fires started on 7 february 2009. There was 400 fires recorded around victoria, in extreme bushfire conditions. The black saturday bushfires were a series of deadly bush fires that burned around the 7th february 2009, and ended around the 14th march 2009. The guardian during the end of january and the beginning of february of 2009, the state of victoria had been experiencing recordbreaking temperatures of consecutive days reaching above 43. He has published twentyfive books, mainly on australian military social history, such as tarakan, quinns post, and men of mont st quentin also published by scribe. Challenges to response operations of the 2009 black. B this article has been rated as bclass on the projects quality scale. Up the shuttle, and led america into war, prometheus books, amherst ny.
But mostly towards the people of victoria, it is now known as black saturday. The black saturday fires were australias most devastating bush fires. Residents in victorias southeast were told to prepare for extreme conditions the day. Csiro publishing international journal of wildland fire.
The start date of july 2009 was chosen to avoid the extraordinary increase in number of burnrelated deaths in victoria during the black saturday bushfires in february 2009, which have been. The preface includes descriptions of the physical and trauma effects in the victims own words. One hundred and seventy three people died, thousands of homes and other dwellings were destroyed and over 400,000 hectares were burnt. The black saturday bushfire started on 7 february 2009. This video has been posted as a final project at gwu for a course on environmental hazards by. There are now many fire deaths to mourn and many different fire days to remember in australia, particularly in victoria and there will be more. Marysville, kinglake, strathewen and flowerdale were completely destroyed. I hope that this ritual will, over the years, evolve into a different kind of annual event. The 2009 victorian bushfires on saturday 7 february 2009 were the worst bushfires in australias history, surpassing both the ash wednesday fires in 1983 and the black friday fires in 1939 the bushfires travelled at alarming speed, up to 100kmh, across farmland and through plantations and heavily managed forests, including forests where recent fuel reduction burns had been done. Black saturday bushfires keeps with namming conventions for other major bushfire events, days, firestorms, etc. Apr 12, 2016 the content of this video contains scenes that have not been originally produced by the editors. Black saturdays tragedy, 7th february 2009 an impressively detailed book dedicated to the events and immediate aftermath of the 2009 fires. For seven generations my family have lived and worked on the land in the valley of ewen, and in one horrific afternoon any trace of. New figures reveal 1 people died in houses during the black saturday bushfires and 27 were killed outside homes.
Black saturday, claimed 173 human lives and destroyed 2029 homes. Saturday, 7th february 2009 was one of the darkest days to dawn upon the whole of australia. The victorian bushfires of february 2009 captured the attention of all. Feb 06, 2014 flames rise in bunyip state forest, east of melbourne, in 2009. At first the death toll was thought to be 210, but forensic tests have shown there were 173. The black saturday bushfires on february 7th 2009 devastated much of the. Black saturday, as it is known, killed more than 170 people and thousands of animals, destroyed more than a million acres of bushland, wiped out townships and left 7500 homeless. Black saturday bushfires rough guides rough guides. The terrible loss of life that occurred in the black saturday bushfires on february 7 and also sunday, february 8 has deeply affected all australians. The black saturday bushfires killed 173 people wreaking a greater human toll than any other fire.
For seven generations my family have lived and worked on the land in the valley of ewen, and in one horrific afternoon any trace of that past, that family history, was destroyed. Most deaths occurred on black saturday, february 7, 2009. Challenges to response operations of the 2009 black saturday. Advice on using the librarys newspapers collection to find information is available on our research fires page. The 2009 victorian bushfires also called black saturday, where more than 400 bushfires that started in victoria, australia on february 7, 2009. Jul 06, 2009 t he victorian bushfires in february 2009 rank second among australias worst natural disasters 1 and among the top 10 wildfiresbushfires in the world with respect to fatalities. Black saturday bushfires para305 multimedia portfolio lachlan weeks s00142341 during the black saturday events of february 7 2009, were the death of 173 people. They occurred in the state of victoria on saturday, 7 february 2009. Case study 2009 black saturday bushfires aussie bushfires. The name black saturday fires of victoria have now been recorded in australian history books as one of the worse fires ever. In addition, more than 2,000 homes were destroyed, and experts estimated that the number of affected wildlife killed or injured could climb well into the millions. The black saturday bushfires, were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the australian state of victoria on and around saturday 7 february 2009 during extreme bushfireweather. Background a disaster is the tragedy of a natural or humanmade kind a hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment that has a negative effect on society and the environment this analysis serves to report back on the 2009 black saturday fires of victoria, australia. These typically occurred due to the acute medical emergencies that presented due to the natural disaster.
Community fireguard in 2009 victorian firesdraft interim report 1. The black friday bushfires of january 1939, in victoria, australia, were part of the devastating 19381939 bushfire season in australia, which saw bushfires burning for the whole summer, and ash fall as far away as new zealand. It was a beautiful place, which its residents had long treasured and loved. May 28, 2009 new figures reveal 1 people died in houses during the black saturday bushfires and 27 were killed outside homes. Credit to pearson for creating and publishing, most pictures were taken from this book as well. The victorian bushfires of february 2009 captured the attention of all australians and made. The black saturday bushfires killed 173 people, injured 414 people, destroyed 2,100 homes and displaced 7,562 people. Bushfires in victoria 78 feb 2009 bureau of meteorology. Black saturday 7 february 2009 a series of bushfires that ignited, or were burning across victoria. What happened during black saturday bush fires still may not be known for years. Police say that 173 people died, and 414 people were taken to hospitals with bad burns.
By the evening of 7 february 2009, it felt like a battlefield. On february 7, 2009 victoria had the worst bushfires in the nations recorded history. Extreme bushfireweather conditions resulted in australias highest ever loss of life from a bushfire, 173 people died and 414 were injured. The black saturday bushfires killed 173 people wreaking a greater human toll than any other fire in australias history. Aug 10, 2012 strange weather conditions including horizontal convective rolls, which are like weak sideways tornadoes, fueled australias black saturday brushfires that killed 173 people in 2009.
Jessicas story of black saturday museums victoria collections. A region of extremely hot air had persisted over inland southeastern australia since the last week of january and had resulted in. But it is early february 2009, and the black saturday bushfire is about to encircle amy and her family, and teach amy firsthand about tragedy and survival. The reasons for the bushfires, the way they were dealt with and the consequences of this disaster. The sixyear beyond bushfires study, led by the university of melbourne, surveyed over survivors of the 2009 black saturday bushfires that claimed 173 lives, including 35 children, making it the worst recorded bushfire disaster in australian history. Strange weather helped fuel australias black saturday fires. Books despite the black saturday tragedy, attitudes and policies have moved. The fires caused australias highest ever loss of life from a bushfire. Strong pictorial content, including several sequences of photographs showing the progression of fires, and the destruction of homes. Peg frasers extraordinary book transcends media cliche and illuminates what it meant to. T he victorian bushfires in february 2009 rank second among australias worst natural disasters 1 and among the top 10 wildfiresbushfires in the world with respect to fatalities. Several location recorded their highest ever temperatures. We remember the tragedy with these articles from the archives.
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