Ash Wednesday
The bushfires that occurred across Victoria and South Australia on 16 February 1983 became known as Ash Wednesday. In Victoria, 47 people lost their lives, including 14 volunteer firefighters. 210,000 hectares were burnt, 2,090 structures were destroyed resulting in 8,000 people becoming homeless, as well as 25,000 head of stock lost. Ash Wednesday remains one of the worst natural disasters in Victoria's history.
Victoria had experienced a tough drought period prior to Ash Wednesday, and many large bushfires had occurred throughout November and December 1982, as well as January 1983. February 1983 was one of the hottest and driest months ever recorded at the time.
The day of Ash Wednesday saw temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius in many places. Hot northerly winds fanned the flames. A westerly wind change swept through Victoria in the early evening, causing the fire fronts to swing, creating a much larger, dangerous fire front, as well as merging some of the fires. Most of the loss of life and property occurred in the hour following this wind change.
In Victoria, the Ash Wednesday bushfires affected Cudgee, Ballangeich, East Trentham, Mount Macedon, the Otway Ranges, Belgrave Heights, Upper Beaconsfield, Cockatoo, Monivale, Branxholme and Warburton.
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