Why is it called Ash Wednesday bushfires?

1980 South Australian bushfires On Ash Wednesday in 1980 during a virtually rainless summer after a very wet spring in 1979, bushfires swept through the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, destroying 51 houses. These fires were referred to as “Ash Wednesday” until the 1983 fires, which became notorious nationwide.

When was Ash Wednesday in Victoria?

February 16, 1983
Ash Wednesday bushfires/Start dates

How many homes were lost in Ash Wednesday?

2,080 homes
Ash Wednesday 30 – The History of Ash Wednesday On 16 February 1983 the Ash Wednesday bushfires burned approximately 210,000 hectares of land, 2,080 homes were destroyed and 75 people, including 47 Victorians, lost their lives.

How much land was burned Ash Wednesday?

The Ash Wednesday bushfires of 16 February 1983 that swept through southern Victoria and South Australia were devastating. In all, 75 people lost their lives—47 in Victoria and 28 in South Australia. More than 300,000 hectares of land were burnt and 3,000 houses and other buildings were lost.

How many people died in the Ash Wednesday bushfire?

75 people
One of Australia’s most well-known and destructive bushfire events. Ash Wednesday (16 February 1983) experienced over 100 fires swept across Victoria and South Australia, killing 75 people and causing widespread damage.

What were the worst bushfires in Australia?

2009, Black Saturday The Black Saturday bushfires were the worst in Australia’s history, killing 173 people. Almost 80 communities and entire towns were left unrecognisable. The fires burned more than 2,000 properties and 61 businesses.

What caused Ash Wednesday 1983?

February 1983 was one of the hottest and driest Februarys on record. Strong winds lifted 200,000 tonnes of dried soil from the ground and created a vast dust storm across southern Australia on 9 February 1983. The dust combined with smoke from burning fires and reduced visibility, making firefighting very difficult.

What happened on Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God and marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season. It is commonly observed with ashes and fasting.

What made Ash Wednesday fire prone?

Leading up to Ash Wednesday The moisture in the air, known as relative humidity, was also low. Bushfires require fuel such as dry leaves, twigs, and other vegetation matter to keep burning. Therefore, fuel sources were dry and forest vegetation in valleys and gullies, usually moist in summer, was also very dry.

When did the Ash Wednesday fires happen in Australia?

1983 brushfires in Australia. The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983, which was Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar.

When did the bushfire season start in Victoria?

In the summer of 1982-3, the Victorian bushfire season commenced in November, with bushfires affecting Ballan, Cann River, Mount Donna Buang, and Mount Macedon (on 1 February). By early morning on Ash Wednesday, 104 fires were already burning in Victoria. Most were controlled or contained; after 2.00pm however, the situation escalated dramatically.

What was the cost of Ash Wednesday in Victoria?

The total cost of the property-related damage in Victoria was estimated to be over $200 million. Before Ash Wednesday, most of Victoria had experienced a drought lasting 10 months or more. Rainfall over winter and spring was low, and summer rainfall for Victoria was up to 75 percent less than in previous years.

What was the weather like in Melbourne on Ash Wednesday?

Ahead of the front were hot, turbulent, gale force northerly winds. Temperatures around Melbourne and Adelaide quickly rose above 43 °C, with winds gusting up to 100 km/h and relative humidity plunging to as low as 6 per cent. From mid-morning, McArthur’s fire danger index was in excess of 100 in several places in Victoria and South Australia.