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.
This report presents an integrated view of the way forward from the fires, including exploring why the 2019-20 fire season was so devastating, what new capabilities can be implemented and how Australia can best learn from its worst fire season on record.
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.
Emergency management can be spoken about in terms of ‘Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery’ (PPRR) or the ‘Comprehensive Approach’ to managing disasters and emergencies. This report is focused on public information in the response phase.
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Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre
A five-year study analyzing the health and wellbeing impacts of the Black Saturday Bushfires in Australia tracked the interplay between mental health and social connections of natural disaster survivors. The results should inform efforts by government
This paper demonstrates the harmful effects that social expectations of masculinity can have on coping mechanisms and decision-making. Expectations based on gender have broad implications for families and communities and for the ways in which emergency
