Hazards case study-BLACK SATURDAY WILDFIRE Flashcards
where and when did the fires take place?
February 2009.Victoria ,South-East Australia
what were the conditions like prior to the event?
Two weeks prior to the event Victoria experienced a severe heatwave
Melbourne had temperatures of 43°C for 3 consecutive days.
Victoria was facing long term drought
there were wind gusts of 100 mph
what was the first fire?
- 47 am: The Black Saturday fires began with the Kilmore East fire. Power-lines had fallen starting a fire in the farmlands.
- 58 pm: It spread quickly as there was a pine plantation and the oil in pine adds fuel to the Fire. Then the fire crossed the Hume Freeway.
3 pm: The fire blazed through Wandong and reached Mount Disappointment.
when did the most intense fire occur?
On the 8th of February the Kinglake Fire Complex, named after the merge of the Kilmore East and Murrindindi fires swept through state forests and national parks. It had flames of more than 30 meters high.
what were the social impacts?
- 173 people died
- 414 people injured
- 7562 people displaced
- 2100 homes destroyed
what were the economic impacts?
- $4.4 billion in damages (not including agricultural losses )
- Businesses that relied on crops and livestock, which were also lost during the bushfires, would have suffered.
what were the environmental impacts?
- RSPCA estimated that over one million animals died from the Black Saturday bushfires, and the animals that did survive were severely burnt.
- Smoke from the bushfires were found in the atmosphere over Antarctica at very high altitude in March 2009. Because of the smoke from the bushfires polluting the atmosphere, it has increased the levels of Co2.
what were short term responses?
- More than 4,000 fire-fighters from the Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment worked to settle the fires.
- The Federal Government announced a $10 million package of emergency assistance, available from 9 February, providing $1,000 per adult and $400 per child for those who had been hospitalized with injuries or who had lost their homes.
what were long term responses?
- The Salvation Armyappeal raised $17.5 million.
- The appeal by the Australian Red Cross raised over $315 million.
what was done to mitigate?
- Ban housing in High-risk areas to reduce displacement and destruction.
- Routine maintenance of vegetation, long grass and weeds.
- Forecasting and monitoring during Fire season.
