2009 Victorian bushfires: Difference between revisions

The 2009 Victorian bushfires on Saturday 7 February 2009 were the worst bushfires in Australia's history, surpassing both the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 and the Black Friday fires in 1939.

Kilmore East and Murrindindi Mill initial fire tracks

<googlemap version="0.9" lat="-37.457418" lon="145.412292" type="satellite" zoom="9" width="650"> 6#B2758BC5 (#66758BC5) -37.30246, 144.992752, Start of Kimore fire (approx) -37.35433, 145.025024, Wandong -37.38107, 145.049057 -37.477583, 145.190506, Humevale -37.536955, 145.284576 -37.587575, 145.364914 -37.591927, 145.370407, Steels Creek -37.550021, 145.3862 -37.468319, 145.272903 -37.400165, 145.156174 -37.333586, 145.075836 -37.301914, 144.994125 -37.610424, 145.343628 -37.625109, 145.350838 6#B2758BC5 (#66758BC5) -37.526337, 145.256424, Kilmore East fire front to St Andrews -37.600904, 145.269127 -37.65148, 145.310669 -37.650937, 145.344658 6#B2758BC5 (#66758BC5) -37.38107, 145.540867, Murrundindi Mill fire start (approx) -37.417754, 145.564213 -37.564174, 145.654678, Narbethong (destroyed) -37.510815, 145.735016, Marysville (destroyed) -37.504279, 145.756989 -37.408346, 145.659485 -37.387072, 145.583954 -37.38107, 145.544815 </googlemap>

Initial track of the fires that started at Kilmore East and Murrindindi Mill.

Note that the Kilmore East fire later travelled North East (after the southerly wind change) to burn Flowerdale.

Chronology of the fires

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Delburn fire started in Gippsland, arson suspected.

Monday 2 February 2009.

Bunyip State Park fire started by lightning

Saturday 7 February 2009. Black Saturday

Horsham fire started at 12:30

Kilmore fire started on farmland at about 14:30

Wandong, Kinglake West, Strathewan, Kinglake and Steels Creek and Flowerdale townships burnt.

Murrindindi Mill fire started, arson suspected.

Narbethong and Marysville townships burnt.

Churchill fire started, arson suspected.

Bendigo fire started at 16:30

17:00 Wind direction changed from northerly to southerly in Melbourne

Beechworth fire started at 19:00

Sunday 8 February 2009.

Kilmore and Murrindindi Mill fires merge to form the Kinglake fire complex.

Wilsons Promontory fire started by lightning

Causes of death

• Radiant heat; trapped in dwelling for shelter or while defending against fire
• Radiant heat; trapped in motor vehicle while attempting to evacuate
• Motor vehicle accident while attempting to evacuate (not confirmed)

See also

• Recent news articles on the 2009 Victorian bushfires

External links

• Wikipedia:2009 Victorian bushfires
• Victorian fires 2009, (We) can do better
• Australia's bushfires: the blame game, Guy Rundle, guardian.co.uk
• Lessons from the ashes, The Age
• Interactive map of Victorian bushfires, Google.com.au

Template:Stub