What is black saturday?
The ‘Black Saturday Bushfire’ was a wild and vicious firestorm, which hit Central Victoria on 7th February 2009. These fires are considered as Australia’s worst natural disaster and were caused by a freak chain of weather events. They devastated communities, farms and cost billions of dollars.
The fires are believed to have been started by lightning, a power line or even arson.
Leading up to this natural disaster there were 2 months of extremely dry conditions. There was a severe heat wave in South-East Australia with around 370 fatalities. On Black Saturday however, temperatures reached 46°C and winds over 100km/h. These conditions were prime for a disastrous bushfire to occur as it did.
During the late afternoon on ‘Black Saturday’ the wind direction changed 90° changing the narrow fingers at the forefront of the fires, to a wide front which was difficult to control.
These events led to an increase in heat and speed of the fires, which meant you could be burned by standing a few hundred metres away.
The fires are believed to have been started by lightning, a power line or even arson.
Leading up to this natural disaster there were 2 months of extremely dry conditions. There was a severe heat wave in South-East Australia with around 370 fatalities. On Black Saturday however, temperatures reached 46°C and winds over 100km/h. These conditions were prime for a disastrous bushfire to occur as it did.
During the late afternoon on ‘Black Saturday’ the wind direction changed 90° changing the narrow fingers at the forefront of the fires, to a wide front which was difficult to control.
These events led to an increase in heat and speed of the fires, which meant you could be burned by standing a few hundred metres away.