black Saturday feb 2009 Flashcards
when did the event start
February 2009
where was it
Victoria, Australia
what type of fire was it
all 3 of them
how many people were left without electricity
6000
how much did the fire cost in damage
4.4 billion aud
how many died
173
how many properties were destroyed
3500
how many people were displaced
7000
how many animals died
1 million
how many individual fires were there
400
why was Australia vulnerable
it was covered in eucalyptus forest which burns easily
it happened at the end of a long dry season
temperature over 40*
fast changing wind direction
what amplified the fires
there was a drought at the time so there wasn’t an abundance of water
what were the responses to the fires
new building regulations in fire prone areas and housing bans in the highest risk areas
what caused the fires
potentially arson, broken powerlines or lightening
how long did the fires last
6 weeks