Due to extensive damage caused by the fires on “Black Friday,” January 13, 1939, this disaster is considered one of the worst bushfires in Australian history. About twenty thousand square kilometers of land burned, seventy-one people died, and several villages and small towns were completely destroyed. Seventy-five percent of the state of Victoria was affected by the fires.
The disaster led to a review of forest management policies and fire prediction. In the 1960s, the MacArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) was developed to assess the degree of fire danger.
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Further Readings:
- Lucas, C., K. Hennessy, G. Mills, and J. Bathols. "Bushfire Weather in Southeast Australia: Recent Trends and Projected Climate Change Impacts." Consultancy Report prepared for The Climate Institute of Australia. Melbourne: Australian Bureau of Meteorology Research Center, 2007. View PDF
- Pyne, Stephen J. Burning Bush: A Fire History of Australia. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.
Day:
13
Month:
1
Year:
1939