On Saturday, February 7, 2009, a series of bushfires blazed across the state of Victoria, killing several dozen people and amounting to billions of dollars in damages. Black Saturday is remembered as one of Australia's worst bushfires.
In this paper, the authors analyze governmental inquiries and actions undertaken regarding three past catastrophic disasters—2005 Hurricane Katrina (USA), the 2009 Victorian Bushfires (Australia), and the 2011 Queensland Floods (Australia). They assess
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (Elsevier)
This brief presents research undertaken into the economic legacy of Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 in Victoria, Australia. The authors computed the disaster severity of 12 non-contiguous bushfire hotspots of varying sizes within the state of Victoria
This predominantly qualitative research into long-term disaster resilience identifies what helps and hinders individual and community resilience in disasters. It documents the experiences and wisdom of 56 disaster survivors nine years after the 2009 Black
Ten years ago, 173 people lost their lives and more than 2000 homes were destroyed in the Black Saturday bushfires. The fires of 7 February 2009 led to a royal commission and significant changes to bushfire management throughout Australia. Research played
Ten years after the Black Saturday bushfires resulted in major fatalities and destruction, climate change is increasingly associated with more days of extreme heat, longer heatwaves and more frequent droughts. With the possibility of another massive catastrophe that could even impact water supplies, risk-informed measures are crucial for avoiding more losses.
Ten years after Black Saturday ravaged Australia, bushfire communication and coordination, and planning regulations, have seen major improvements. But the disaster also triggered an overemphasis on accountability and technology at the expense of effective fire control. Despite progress, fire assessments, communication, and trade-offs still need work.