The ''Ash Wednesday Fires'' were a series of bush fires which occurred on
February 16,
1983 in south-east
Australia, resulting in a
natural disaster. The fires occurred in
Victoria, including the
Dandenong Ranges and
Macedon Ranges, as well as the
Otway Ranges in the south west. They also occurred in
South Australia, primarily in the
Adelaide Hills, but also the
Clare Valley and the pine forests of the state's south east. The Ash Wednesday fires remain the worst bushfire disaster in Australian history, claiming 75 lives and more than two thousand homes.
The fire was so severe that
firefighters were unable to stop the massive blaze, and the fire only came to an end when it reached the ocean on Victoria's south coast.
Melbourne was encircled by fires and remained covered in smoke for weeks, requiring drivers to use their headlights in the city during the day time. Outer metropolitan areas of both Melbourne and Adelaide were threatened, particularly those suburbs located towards the Dandenongs in Melbourne. The smoke reached as far north as
Batemans Bay, New South Wales. Much of
Mount Macedon to the north west of Melbourne was devastated, as were the townships of Cockatoo and Upper Beaconsfield in the Dandenongs, and many beachside towns along the Great Ocean Road.
Prior to these events south eastern Australia had experienced a prolonged drought caused by the
El Niño climatic events. Another precipitating factor was an ongoing fire in eastern Victoria that went uncontrolled for almost a month.
The human loss was 75 lives: 47 in Victoria and 28 in South Australia. In the Dandenong Ranges, 17
firefighters also lost their lives while they were fighting the fires, on account of an
abrupt change in wind direction. Many forested areas, such as Victoria’s eastern Otway Ranges, and the pine forests of southeastern South Australia were incinerated. The fierce conditions spawned freak effects: one survivor reported seeing a burning mattress hurtling through the air.
[1] 2,545 individuals and families lost their homes. At the height of the blaze there were reports that fire fronts moved faster than 100 km/h.
[2]
The total land area burnt was approximately 2,100 km² (518,921 acres) in Victoria and 2,080 km² (513,979 acres) in South Australia. The summer bushfires of 1982/1983 razed approximately 5,200 km² (1,284,000 acres).
In Victoria many fires were thought to have been caused by sparks between shorting power lines and tree branches connecting with power lines. A systematic review of fire safety was undertaken: areas were cleared under high tension pylons and local domestic lines considered to be at risk were replaced with insulated 3 phase supply lines. An emergency disaster plan was also legislated known as
Displan.
Areas affected in Victoria
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