Wildfire-Australia-Black Saturday Flashcards
When did it happen
In February 2009, severe wildfires burned for a month in the state of Victoria in south-east Australia. The worst fires occurred in forested areas.
Conditions that caused it
Environmental conditions added to the intensity of the fires - they followed ten years of drought, recent temperatures had been over 40 °C and there were strong winds.
Other causes
Lack of management (e.g. controlled burning of forest litter, such as branches and leaves), meant that there was a large amount of very dry oil-rich material to fuel the fire. Several of the fires were caused by faulty power lines.
Impacts
173 people were killed and around 400 injured. Many more suffered from stress and depression.
2000 houses in 78 communities were destroyed.
More than 60 businesses were destroyed, causing loss of jobs and income to the region.
The total estimated cost of the fire was more than AUS $4 billion.
Around 4300 km² of land was burned, including forest and national parks. Millions of animals, birds and reptiles were killed, including some rare species such as the sooty owl and spotted tree frog.
Responses
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicted how the fires would spread and told residents that they could either evacuate or stay and defend their homes. Evacuation reduced the number of deaths, but many people were put at risk by choosing to stay in their houses.
More than 20 000 firefighters and volunteers helped to put out the fires and support victims. More than AUS $400 million was donated to help rebuild houses and community facilities. However, making new houses more fire-resistant increased costs, so not everyone could afford to finish building.
Recommendations for long-term responses include building fire shelters in vulnerable areas, improving warning systems and improving the emergency evacuation strategy.
