SE Australia Wildfire, 2009 (Black Saturday)

Question 1

Where were the wildfires located?

Answer 1

The state of Victoria in South East Australia.

Question 2

What was the cause of the wildfires?

Answer 2

Arson, fallen powerlines, and lightning strikes. This combined with a 10 year drought and 40 degree weather (dry vegetation) was the perfect breeding ground for a massive firestorm.

Question 3

Was there good management?

Answer 3

No, there was a lack of it and this meant there was a lot of dry, oil rich material in the region.

Question 4

How many people died?

Answer 4

173

Question 5

How many homes were destroyed?

Answer 5

Over 2,000

Question 6

What were the effects of the wildfire?

Answer 6

• 400 injured.
• AUS$4 billion in damages.
• Over 4300 square kilometres of land burned.
• 7,500 people displaced.
• Over 60 businesses destroyed.
• Power supplies cut for 60,000 people.

Question 7

What were the responses to the wildfire?

Answer 7

• Australia’s Country Fire Authority deployed 20,000 firefighters to fight the fires, assisted by firefighters from New Zealand and the USA.
• AUS$400 million donated to help rebuild houses and facilities.
• New bans came into place on the construction of homes near wildfire prone areas.
• Government inquiries resulted in a Royal Commission into the fires which gave recommendations to authorities, including increasing controlled burning (this has now quadrupled), build fire shelters, improve warning systems, and emphasise that people should stay inside their homes where possible during a wildfire.