On 16 February 1983, approximately one hundred fires broke out, devastating large areas of Victoria and South Australia and killing seventy-one people.
Victoria’s natural environment is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world: high temperatures, little precipitation, and strong winds make the Eucalyptus forests especially vulnerable. Disasters of similar scope occur only five to six times in a century.
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Further Readings:
- Pyne, Stephen J. Burning Bush: A Fire History of Australia. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.
Day:
16
Month:
2
Year:
1983