Monday, October 19, 2009

Nine News Coverage of the Black Saturday Bushfires

Incredible footage of a Black Saturday

This is footage of a sprinkler system being tested for a house six days prior to Black Saturday. The most incredible part is the footage toward the end of the video which shows the fire rapidly approaching the house.

Kinglake CFA Captain Paul Hendrie

Paul Hendrie talks about his experiences in Kinglake.


Satellite and maps of the Black Saturday bushfires




Strathewen

A video about how the bushfires unfolded in Strathewen.



How the fires occurred?

In south-east Australia, bad fire days are associated with the presence of a 'blocking' high pressure system in the Tasman Sea. This brings hot, dry strong wind from the centre of the continent to the south-east. 

The high temperatures, some in excess of 45 degrees, and dry air experienced throughout Victoria on Saturday resulted in very low fuel moisture content. Combined with the extended rainfall deficit for much of the state, this resulted in tinder-dry fuel that was very easily ignited and very difficult to extinguish. In addition, to the high pressure system there was an approaching cold front which helped to strengthen winds ahead of the front, as well as causing a wind change after the front passed.  Very strong winds resulted in fires that spread very rapidly with the wind and were practically unstoppable until the weather moderated following the cool change. Victoria's topography and vegetation also played a role.

(A blocking high is a persistent high pressure system that occurs on a large scale, remaining stationary for a period of time, compressing and warming the air below.)





CSIRO

The Death Toll

Fire Region / Municipality

Deaths

 

 

Kinglake / Whittlesea Fires

159

Kinglake

38

Kinglake West

4

St Andrews

12

Canberville

1

Humevale

6

Strathewen

27

Flowerdale

2

Hazeldene

10

Steeles Creek

10

Arthurs Creek

2

Strath Creek

1

Toolangi

2

Marysville

34

Clonbinane

1

Heathcote Junction

1

Upper Plenty

1

Whittlesea

2

Narbethong

4

Yarra Glen

1

 

 

Gippsland Fires

11

Callignee

3

Callignee Upper

1

Churchill

2

Koornalla

4

Jeeralang Junction

1

 

 

Beechworth Fires

2

Mudgegonga

2

 

 

Bendigo Fires

1

Long Gully

1

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

173





Victoria Police Website

CNN Video - Interview with residents



CNN

Timeline on February 7, 2009



CNN Video




February 7, 2009


After a period of prolonged drought and weeks of oppressive heat, the state of Victoria braced itself for extreme fire danger. 

The worst bushfires in the nation's history, Black Saturday claimed 173 human lives, injured 5,000 people, destroyed 2,029 homes, killed countless animals and burnt through over 4,500 square kilometres of land.