Bush fires play an important part in Australia's well being. I have pulled together a case study on a tragic event that shook all of Australia.
Bush fires are a natural disaster that can extremely dangerous and can lead to many preventable deaths. Bush fires are a very well-known and very dangerous hazard all around Australia as there have been many memorable bush fires that resulted in countless deaths. Although many bush fires that take place in Australia are quite large, there was none bigger and more dangerous than the bush fires that occurred on the 7th of February, 2009. That period of continuously burning bush was known from there on as Black Saturday.
Over the course of roughly 7 days, bush fires all around the state of Victoria blazed and ate through the Victorian bush. Around 4,500 kilometres of farm land and bush were destroyed that week, resulting in the loss of wild and domestic animals and their habitats. Over 400 bush fires were recorded and the majority of them blazed for a full week before finally being put out. This resulted in many casualties and severe injuries. Over 173 people perished in the fires and around 414 people were badly wounded as a result of severe burns and lack of oxygen in the air. The people of Victoria were not the only things to have perished. Over 2,500 houses and over 3,000 structures were also taken by the bush fires.
On the day the bush fires were first ignited, it was the hottest day that Australia had experienced for a very long time with a temperature of 46 degrees and the heat varied over the course of that week with 46 degrees being the highest temperature. The northern wind was blowing at around 100 kilometres per hour only helped to contribute to the bush fire. The fact that Australia had not experienced any rain over the course of 2 months and during that time Australia also experienced heatwaves which in turn, also contributed to the fires size and ferocity. A cool front came through, temporarily providing a sense of relief only soon to be brought back to reality by 120 kilometre per hour winds that suddenly blew south west, causing an uprising of the bush fires and it almost doubled in size.
The cause of the bush fires are still not know today. Many people believe that the clashing of power lines and the sparks that were thrown of them ignited the fire. Other people were more suspicious and believed that juvenile delinquents had deliberately lit the fires in what seemed to be a harmless joke. Only a few people believe the theory of power tools and/or lightning being the cause of these horrendous and tragic bush fires. Many Australians seemed to overlook the fact that what happened could have only been a coincidence as Australia was experiencing a terrible drought and had not received any rain fall in the past 2 months, both of which are large factors when it comes to bush fires.
The effect of the bush fires on Victorians was catastrophic. There were almost too many people to count that were forced to seek refugee somewhere else as their homes were destroyed by the bushfires. The bush fires majorly effected the rural areas. Although Victoria itself was directly affected, Victorians fully supported the rural area which was by far the worst areas to be in at that time. Victorians were graciously donating money to help whilst also sending medical supplies, food and water but also welcoming them with open arms into their homes.
Bush fires are a natural disaster that can extremely dangerous and can lead to many preventable deaths. Bush fires are a very well-known and very dangerous hazard all around Australia as there have been many memorable bush fires that resulted in countless deaths. Although many bush fires that take place in Australia are quite large, there was none bigger and more dangerous than the bush fires that occurred on the 7th of February, 2009. That period of continuously burning bush was known from there on as Black Saturday.
Over the course of roughly 7 days, bush fires all around the state of Victoria blazed and ate through the Victorian bush. Around 4,500 kilometres of farm land and bush were destroyed that week, resulting in the loss of wild and domestic animals and their habitats. Over 400 bush fires were recorded and the majority of them blazed for a full week before finally being put out. This resulted in many casualties and severe injuries. Over 173 people perished in the fires and around 414 people were badly wounded as a result of severe burns and lack of oxygen in the air. The people of Victoria were not the only things to have perished. Over 2,500 houses and over 3,000 structures were also taken by the bush fires.
On the day the bush fires were first ignited, it was the hottest day that Australia had experienced for a very long time with a temperature of 46 degrees and the heat varied over the course of that week with 46 degrees being the highest temperature. The northern wind was blowing at around 100 kilometres per hour only helped to contribute to the bush fire. The fact that Australia had not experienced any rain over the course of 2 months and during that time Australia also experienced heatwaves which in turn, also contributed to the fires size and ferocity. A cool front came through, temporarily providing a sense of relief only soon to be brought back to reality by 120 kilometre per hour winds that suddenly blew south west, causing an uprising of the bush fires and it almost doubled in size.
The cause of the bush fires are still not know today. Many people believe that the clashing of power lines and the sparks that were thrown of them ignited the fire. Other people were more suspicious and believed that juvenile delinquents had deliberately lit the fires in what seemed to be a harmless joke. Only a few people believe the theory of power tools and/or lightning being the cause of these horrendous and tragic bush fires. Many Australians seemed to overlook the fact that what happened could have only been a coincidence as Australia was experiencing a terrible drought and had not received any rain fall in the past 2 months, both of which are large factors when it comes to bush fires.
The effect of the bush fires on Victorians was catastrophic. There were almost too many people to count that were forced to seek refugee somewhere else as their homes were destroyed by the bushfires. The bush fires majorly effected the rural areas. Although Victoria itself was directly affected, Victorians fully supported the rural area which was by far the worst areas to be in at that time. Victorians were graciously donating money to help whilst also sending medical supplies, food and water but also welcoming them with open arms into their homes.