Black Saturday Bushfires

DANIA AND SAMAH

Spatial Distribution
• The Black Saturday Bushfires happened in
early February, 2009 in Victoria. The first area
affected was Kilmore East. It spread quickly
and crossed Hume Highway.
• Bushfires are common on the east coast of
Australia.
• The burned area was 450,000 hectares.
Geomorphic Process
• There are many causes of bushfires. They can be as little as fallen
wood and litter.
• There was a drought before the bushfires, which put trees and forests
under severe moisture stress. There was also a heatwave. This and
the strong wind helped the fire spread rapidly.
• The main way of how it started was when fallen power lines had
caused a blaze in Kilmore East. It spread and passed Hume Highway.
Government Response
• Figures showed government targets on controlled burning were not
met in many cases around the state
• Some opposition politicians said that was part of the cause for the
fires.
• The government became aware that burning off areas could’ve
prevented a lot of the bushfires.
• The public was disappointed and blamed the government.
Action
• Research and the royal commission increased understanding of Black
Saturday. It has resulted in better weather forecasting, better
communication about fires to the public and between emergency
response agencies and land managers.
Reflection
• A better evacuation plan and better planning from before would’ve
saved many lives. If they knew about burning from before the fire
wouldn’t have spread as much.