What agencies helped with Black Saturday?
The Red Cross Blood Service received 6,000 offers of blood donations on the morning of 9 February alone. The Salvation Army appeal raised $17.5 million. Major banks National Australia Bank, ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank and Westpac each announced $1 million in donations for fire victims.
What were the causes of the Black Saturday bushfires?
On 1 April 2009, Victoria Police reaffirmed their view that the cause was arson. However, in June 2011, Victoria Police announced that they now believed the cause of the fire was not arson. It was alleged that the fire was caused by a “break in an electrical conductor on a power pole near the Murrindindi Saw Mill”.
When did the Black Saturday bushfires start and end?
The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of deadly bush fires that burned around the 7th February 2009, and ended around the 14th March 2009. There was 400 fires recorded around Victoria, in extreme bushfire conditions. The bushfires affected 78 towns in Victoria; Marysville, Kinglake, Strathewen and Flowerdale were completely destroyed.
How many people died in the Black Saturday fires?
The Black Saturday fires started on 7 February 2009. Approximately 400 fires were recorded across Victoria, affecting 78 communities. A total of 173 people died in the fires, and 2 029 houses were lost.
How many people died in the Victorian bushfire in 2009?
The 2009 Victorian firestorm resulted in the worst loss of life from any recorded Australian bushfire. 173 people died in these devastating fires. Most deaths occurred on Black Saturday, February 7, 2009. Advice on using the Library’s newspapers collection to find information is available on our Research fires page.
Who was involved in the Black Saturday fire in Victoria?
More than 19,000 CFA (Country Fire Authority) personnel were deployed in battling the fires, in incident control or working in other roles. Officers from the Victorian Department of Sustainable Communities were also involved.