Full Answer
What were the Black Saturday bushfires?
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 Australia's all-time worst bushfire disasters.
What was the result of Black Saturday?
Many people were left homeless as a result. As many as 400 individual fires were recorded on Saturday 7 February; the day has become widely referred to in Australia as Black Saturday. The 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, headed by Justice Bernard Teague, was held in response to the bushfires.
How many people died in the Black Saturday fires?
After the final embers were doused (the Black Saturday fires continued to 14 March), the true scale of the fires was revealed. About 400 blazes had burned, most sparked by faulty power lines and lightning, but there were also cases of arson. A total of 173 people died - Australia's deadliest ever bushfire event.
What was the settlement for the Black Saturday bushfires?
Retrieved 6 February 2015. Electricity company AusNet has announced a $300 million settlement with the Marysville victims of the Black Saturday bushfires. ^ "Victims of Black Saturday fire launch class action". ABC News. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015.
How long was the Black Saturday bushfire?
26 daysThe fire continued to burn for 26 days and was finally declared under control on 13 March. There were 40 deaths, 73 people injured and 538 houses destroyed.
Who started the Black Saturday bushfires?
The cause of the Kilmore East-Kinglake bushfire was found by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission to be an ageing SP AusNet power line. In December 2014 Victoria's Supreme Court approved a A$494 million settlement of a legal class action against SP AusNet and Utility Services Group.
What caused Black Saturday bushfires 2009?
Most of the bushfires were the result of arson, collapsed power lines, and natural events such as lightning strikes. The fires were not fully contained or extinguished until March 14. dry.
Where did the Black Saturday bushfires happen?
On 7 February, Black Saturday, Victorian townships including Marysville, Kinglake, Kinglake West, Narbethong, Flowerdale and Strathewen were devastated.
When did the Black Friday bushfires start and end?
Black Friday bushfiresDate(s)13 January 1939Burned area2,000,000 hectares (4,900,000 acres)CauseHeat wave Careless burningBuildings destroyed6504 more rows
What went wrong on Black Saturday?
Black Saturday is an Australian tragedy. It is a day that has redefined the way we consider living alongside fire. But it is also a tale of our wretched electricity system. On 7 February 2009, of the 173 people who died, 161 perished in fires ignited by a poorly maintained power grid.
Who died in Black Saturday?
The Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people, 120 in the Kinglake area alone. Another 414 people were injured. More than 450,000 hectares had burned and 3,500 buildings including more than 2,000 houses destroyed. The RSPCA estimated that up to one million wild and domesticated animals died in the disaster.
What was Australia's worst natural disaster?
1. Cyclone Mahina 1899. The deadliest cyclone in Australian history, and probably the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result of the cyclone, settlers found fish, sharks and dolphins several kilometres inland, and rocks embedded into trees.
How long did it take to recover from Black Saturday?
People are generally extraordinarily resilient and we need to applaud that, but the disruption to lives continues well after the initial crisis clears. We found: a slump in life satisfaction from three to five years after the bushfires, which improved again at ten years after the bushfires.
When did the Black Saturday fires start?
February 7, 2009Black Saturday bushfires / Start date
What was the biggest bushfire in the world?
1987 Black Dragon Fire (China and Russia) – 2.5 Million Acres. Also known as the Daxing'annling Wildfire, the Black Dragon fire of 1987 may have been the largest single fire in the world in the past several hundred years as well as the deadliest forest fire in the People's Republic of China.
How much did the Black Saturday bushfires cost?
By valuing a wide range of economic, social and environmental impacts and benefits through an economic loss assessment, the net cost of the Black Saturday Fires was estimated to be $942 million. This value was reached by deducting the total benefits ($1.998 billion) from the total losses ($2.939 billion).
Who helped with the Black Saturday bushfires?
Aid efforts. Humanitarian responses to the fires came quickly from government, businesses, individuals and aid agencies, including direct relief efforts as well as fundraising. The Victorian Government's Department of Human Services offered immediate assistance of up to $1,067 for affected people.
When did the Black Saturday bushfires begin?
February 7, 2009Black Saturday bushfires / Start date
What agencies helped with Black Saturday?
The Red Cross Blood Service received 6,000 offers of blood donations on the morning of 9 February alone. The Salvation Army appeal raised $17.5 million. Major banks National Australia Bank, ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank and Westpac each announced $1 million in donations for fire victims.
How much did the Black Saturday bushfires cost?
By valuing a wide range of economic, social and environmental impacts and benefits through an economic loss assessment, the net cost of the Black Saturday Fires was estimated to be $942 million. This value was reached by deducting the total benefits ($1.998 billion) from the total losses ($2.939 billion).
When did the Black Saturday fires happen?
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 Australia's all-time worst bushfire disasters. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest-ever loss ...
What were the responses to the Black Saturday bushfires?
Responses to the Black Saturday bushfires included immediate community response, donations, and international aid efforts. Later responses included Government inquiries including a Royal Commission, and recommendations and discussions from a wide variety of bodies, organisations, authorities and communities.
What happened on Black Saturday 2009?
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 Australia's all-time worst bushfire disasters. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest-ever loss of human life from a bushfire, with 173 fatalities. Many people were left homeless as a result.
How much did the Black Saturday bushfires cost?
Aerial view of the Kinglake area looking north, nine months after bushfires (burnt area top third of image) The Bushfires Royal Commission gave a "conservative" estimate of the total cost of the Black Saturday bushfires of A$4.4 billion.
How did the bushfires in the Dandenong Ranges happen?
In the southern Dandenong Ranges, bushfires ignited around Narre Warren, one of which was caused by sparks from a power tool. Six homes were destroyed in Narre Warren South and three in Narre Warren North.
What was the 9th deadliest bushfire?
The Black Saturday bushfires were the ninth deadliest bushfire/wildfire event in recorded history.
How many people died in the Black Saturday fires?
There were significantly fewer major burns than in previous bushfires, such as Ash Wednesday. Of the people who presented to medical treatment centres and hospitals, there were 22 with serious burns and 390 with minor burns and other bushfire-related injuries.
Where did the Black Saturday bushfires happen?
Black Saturday bushfires raged across the state of Victoria, Australia, throughout the month of February, when this image was taken. The red squares mark active fires, burning near the Great Dividing Range and threatening the water supply of Victoria's capital and most populous city, Melbourne. (Melbourne sits near the top of Port Phillip Bay, the large bay on the left.)
When did the bushfires happen in Australia?
On February 7, 2009, the “Black Saturday Bushfires” became the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history.
How many people died in the 2009 bushfires?
The fires also destroyed 2,029 homes, and killed 173 people. Recovery cost more than a billion dollars. The so-called “Black Saturday Bushfires” are often called the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history.
What year was the Black Saturday bushfire?
The Australian "Black Saturday" Bushfires of 2009. Environment and Habitat. — Last week, during a heat wave in the southern part of the country, Australian officials issued for the first time a “catastrophic”-level fire warning. The “catastrophic” level, which indicates that people should evacuate, was created after bushfires in the state ...
How many people died in the 2009 Black Saturday fires?
On Feb. 7, 2009, a day that was dubbed “Black Saturday” in Australia, deadly bushfires swept through the southern state of Victoria, leaving 173 people dead and 500 injured.
How many people died in the Black Friday fires in Australia?
With its abundant forests and hot dry climate, Australia had often suffered from deadly bushfires, most notably the 1939 “Black Friday” blaze in Victoria, in which 71 people were killed, and the 1983 “Ash Wednesday” fires in Victoria and South Australia, where 75 people perished. The scale of the recent fires—attributed to extreme weather conditions coupled with a severe and protracted drought that had created tinder-dry vegetation across the state—was unprecedented and left the country in a state of shock.
What happened to the Murrindindi fire?
Late in the afternoon a sudden change in wind direction pushed the fire to the northeast, bringing new towns into its path. A parallel fire, known as the Murrindindi fire, also blew to the northeast, swallowing the unsuspecting tourist town of Marysville, where 34 people lost their lives.
How long did it take for the Melbourne fire to cut off?
The township of Flowerdale, 65 km (40 mi) north of Melbourne, was cut off from the world for almost 48 hours as its residents huddled in the local pub after their town was razed to the ground.
How many people died in the Kilmore East fire?
The most deadly conflagration, known as the Kilmore East fire, which claimed 121 lives, was sparked by a faulty power pole near the township of Kilmore East, 60 km (37 mi) north of Melbourne.
What was the Black Saturday disaster?
Black Saturday: The bushfire disaster that shook Australia. Ten years ago, Australia experienced its worst-ever bushfire disaster when 173 people died across the state of Victoria. Immediately branded "one of the darkest days in Australia's peacetime history", Black Saturday has left a profound legacy. Sharon Verghis reports.
How many people died in the Black Saturday fire?
Ten years ago, Australia experienced its worst-ever bushfire disaster when 173 people died across the state of Victoria. Immediately branded "one of the darkest days in Australia's peacetime history", Black Saturday has left a profound legacy. Sharon Verghis reports.
How far away was Mr Baetge when he saw fire?
Like Mr Thomas, the decision would almost cost him his life. At about 1830, Mr Baetge spotted fire on top of peaks about 3km (2 miles) away - with what he estimated to be 100m-high fireballs. Even for a bushfire veteran, he was shocked at the speed of the fire as it raced towards him.
How much did the Bushfire cost?
The inquiry put the financial cost of the disaster at A$4.4bn (£2.4bn; $3.14bn).
What are the mental health issues caused by the Bushfires?
The Beyond Bushfires report, which surveyed more than 1,000 people affected by the fires, found evidence of significant mental health issues including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe psychological distress. The rates were significantly higher than what would be expected in the general population, it found.
What time did the fire hit Mr Thomas' house?
At 18.45, the fire hit - "and pretty hard". Mr Thomas's family and the B&B guests ran for shelter in the house as he, his brother-in-law and an employee battled the fire. It was effectively three men with buckets and garden hoses against a roaring, wind-whipped blaze.
Who was the woman who fled the house when it burned?
Karen Curnow was among them. As her house caught fire, she fled in her car with her old dog, hurtling over and around burning trees, guilt-struck at having to leaving her panicked horses behind.
Where was the Black Saturday fire?
The fire started at about 11.47am, on top of a rocky hill between two gullies near Saunders Road. The fire ignited at about 12.20pm; it was a grass fire and in the first hour spread rapidly, covering just over 10 kilometres.
How many people died in the 2009 bushfires?
The 2009 bushfires in January and February ravaged many parts of Victoria and touched directly and indirectly many millions of people in the State, across Australia and internationally. One hundred and seventy three people died, thousands of homes and other dwellings were destroyed and over 400,000 hectares were burnt.
What time did the Horsham fire start?
Horsham (Vectis & Haven) The fire ignited at about 12.20pm; it was a grass fire and in the first hour spread rapidly, covering just over 10 kilometres. People: 0. Area (ha): 2,346. Houses: 13. Coleraine. At about 12.30pm, a fire broke out in a paddock on private farmland about 5 kilometres north-west of the township.
How long did the grass fire last?
The grass fire was relatively short-lived, being active for about five hours on that day but burning over 1,000 hectares. It started at about 1.15pm.
Where did the fires in Narbethong burn?
The fires burned in grass reserves and scrubland, on residential streets, and in homes and gardens.
Where was the Maiden Gully fire?
The fire started shortly after 4.00pm in Maiden Gully, 8 kilometres north-west of the central business district.
Where did the Black Saturday fires start?
The Black Saturday fires began with the Kilmore East fire when fallen power-lines started a blaze in farmland at 11.47 am. This fire spread quickly through a pine plantation and crossed the Hume Freeway at 1.58 pm. The fire burnt through Wandong and reached Mount Disappointment at approximately 3 pm. Strong westerly winds blew the fire towards Humevale and Kinglake with embers causing spot fires up to 20 - 40 kilometres away. Between 3.30 – 7 pm, the fire entered Kinglake National Park and continued onto Strathewen, St Andrews, Kinglake, Kinglake West, Chum Creek, Steels Creek, Arthurs Creek, Flowerdale, Broadford, Healesville and Toolangi. In this fire, 119 people died, 232 were injured and 1242 homes were lost.
How many people died in the Black Saturday fires?
The Black Saturday fires started on 7 February 2009. Approximately 400 fires were recorded across Victoria, affecting 78 communities. A total of 173 people died in the fires, and 2 029 houses were lost. A number of communities suffered extensive loss of life and property damage as a result of major fires, including:
What was the Bunyip fire?
Other major fires. The Bunyip fire broke containment lines in the Bunyip State Forest on the morning of 7 February. This fire destroyed 31 houses across the townships of Jindivick, Labertouche and Tonimbuk. The Horsham fire broke out as a grassfire at 12.20 pm.
How much did the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund raise?
The Appeal closed on 17 April 2009 and raised $379 million.
What time did the Murrindindi fire start?
Murrindindi. The Murrindindi fire reportedly began about 3 pm and quickly spread through the Murrindindi State Forest and Black Range. The fire continued through state forests before it reached Narbethong at 4.20 pm, destroying most of the houses in town.
How many homes were destroyed in the Horsham fire?
The Horsham fire broke out as a grassfire at 12.20 pm. The very strong winds blew the fire out of control, eventually destroying 13 homes.
How many homes were burned in the Bendigo fire?
The Bendigo fire began about 4 pm in Maiden Gully. The fire continued through Long Gully and Eaglehawk, where 58 homes were burnt and one person died.
How many people died in the 2019 bushfires in NSW?
Over the course of a few months, 26 lives were lost, 2,448 homes were destroyed and 5.5 million hectares (ha) of land was burnt. The impact on NSW communities, farmers, local businesses, wildlife and bushland was unprecedented.
What is the worst fire season in New South Wales?
The 2019–20 bushfire season was the worst New South Wales (NSW) has recorded. Higher than average temperatures and low moisture levels in bushfire fuels following several years of drought enabled devastating fires to burn across much of the state, with intense bushfire weather conditions continuing through most of the fire season.
How many homes were destroyed in the Badja fire?
The Badja Forest Road fire destroyed 418 homes, of which 289 were lost in the Bega Valley alone. The community of Cobargo was the hardest hit, with 70 homes lost, five facilities destroyed, 168 outbuildings lost and a further 33 homes damaged.
How many bushfires will there be in 2020?
From 1 July 2019 to the end of the bushfire season on 31 March 2020, there were more than 11,400 bush and grass fires across NSW.
How many people died in the Good Fire?
The fires also claimed the lives of three American crew members, killed when their aircraft crashed during water-bombing operations on the Good fire in the Snowy Monaro region.
How many animals died in the NSW fires?
More than three billion animals, more than one billion of them in NSW, were estimated to have been killed or displaced in the fires, including some rare or threatened animal, plant and insect species, with the complete loss of some species believed to be permanent.
How many firefighters died in the Green Wattle Creek fire?
During the Green Wattle Creek fire south-west of Sydney, two volunteer firefighters were killed when their fire tanker rolled late during the night of Thursday 19 December at Buxton, leaving three others injured in the accident. Their truck had been part of a convoy when the accident occurred.
How many people died in the 2009 bushfires?
The fires caused Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire. Police say that 173 people died, and 414 people were taken to hospitals with bad burns.
Where did the Kilmore fire start?
The first of the two fires started at Kilmore East, Victoria, on the afternoon February 7 2009, and burned 30 km (19 mi) south-east towards St. Andrews through Wandong and Clonbinane. The fire destroyed 30 houses at Wandong and Heathcote Junction on February 7.
How many acres were burned in the Delburn fire?
On 29 January, over 500 firemen fought the two fires at Delburn which had joined together into one big fire. The fires had burnt 1,000 ha (2,471 acres) near Boolarra and Darlimurra, south of the city of Morwell. No buildings were burnt. A cool change in the weather on 30 January made it easier to fight the fires, but also made it windy, which led to spot fires (new, small fires from burning plants blown ahead). On the evening of 31 January, fire crews worked to stop the fire spreading to the north. They fought to protect the main power transmission lines taking electricity to Melbourne from the Latrobe Valley. The fire was also close to the Hazelwood Power Station, Victoria.
What happened to the Loy Yang coal mine?
On the night of February 7, the fire approached the mine's overburden dump, but did not damage anything and did not stop the station's operations. Several small fires broke out in the bunker storing coal from the mine , but were contained with no damage. The threat eased by the evening of February 8, as temperatures cooled and some light rain fell. One small fire started south of the power station, but water bombing aircraft put it out.
What happened to Bunyip State Park?
A fire at Bunyip State Park burned houses at Longwarry North, and Drouin West, Victoria, as well as farms and businesses, after the fire jumped the Princes Highway.
How many houses were destroyed in the Melbourne fire?
The fires burnt down at least 2,029 homes, 3,500 buildings in total and damaged thousands. Many towns north-east of the state capital Melbourne were badly damaged or almost completely destroyed, including the Victorian towns of Kinglake, Marysville, Narbethong, Strathewen, and Flowerdale.
What towns were destroyed by the Narbethong fire?
Other towns affected by the same fire included Taggerty and Buxton. To the south west, the fire was burning on three sides of Yarra Glen, Victoria , trapping people in the town. Houses north of Yarra Glen were destroyed and large areas of grass lands were burnt.
When did the Black Thursday bushfires happen?
Black Thursday bushfires. On ‘Black Thursday’, 6 February 1851, European settlers in Victoria faced their first catastrophic bushfires, which burnt a quarter of the colony. James Fenton, in Bush Life in Tasmania Fifty Years Ago, recalled how the Victorian fires appeared to an observer on the north coast of Tasmania:
When did the Victorian bushfires start?
Prelude to the Victorian bushfires. Permanent European settlement in Victoria began at Portland in 1834, and at Melbourne in 1835. In February 1851, only a few months before the area achieved its status as a colony independent of New South Wales, the settlers confronted their first cataclysmic bushfires. The fires followed a period of unusual and ...
What was the weather like in 1848?
The fires followed a period of unusual and erratic weather. 1848 had seen heavy rainfall, followed by drought. Then high temperatures in the summer of 1848–49 led to significant bushfire risk. The following winter Europeans saw snow for the first time in Melbourne, followed by deluges and floods.
How many hectares of fires were burned in Victoria?
In total, about five million hectares burnt, a quarter of Victoria.
What happened in 1849 in the colony of Melbourne?
High rainfall in 1849 encouraged the build-up of vegetation throughout the colony, only for further drought in 1850 to dry it out. The following summer of 1851 was long and hot. For weeks before Black Thursday, bushfires raged uncontrolled in the Plenty Ranges, north-east of Melbourne. There were also fires on Mount Macedon to the north and in ...
What happened on Black Thursday 1851?
Black Thursday, February, 1851 by FA Sleap. In the hills west of Geelong, a man helping fight a fire disappeared. His body was later found ‘burnt to a cinder’. Another man who perished was with a group burning stubble to form a firebreak when they were caught out by a wind change.
What animals were burned in the Melbourne fire?
The Melbourne Argus callously noted that ‘pigs and dogs running loose were burned to death – birds were dropping down off the trees before the fire in all directions – oppossums, kangaroos, and all sorts of beasts can be had to-day ready roasted all over the bush’.
Overview
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 Australia's all-time worst bushfire disasters. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest-ever loss of human life from a bushfire, with 17…
Background
Events of 7 February 2009
Chronology
Major fires
Investigations
Casualties
Overall statistics