What was the cause of the Ash Wednesday bushfires?
The causes of the Ash Wednesday fires include sparks caused by a combination of damaged electricity power lines, tree branches hitting power lines, and deliberately lit fires.
When did Ash Wednesday bushfire start?
February 16, 1983Ash Wednesday bushfires / Start date
Where was the Ash Wednesday bushfires?
South Australia
South Australia Major fires were burning by noon on Ash Wednesday, particularly in the Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley 120km north of Adelaide, and around Mount Gambier, in the south-east of the state. By 3pm the situation was extreme.
How many died in Ash Wednesday?
75 lives
The Ash Wednesday fires claimed 75 lives in total, 47 in Victoria and 28 in South Australia. The largest number of lives lost was in the Upper Beaconsfield fire with 20 deaths. Hundreds of others were burnt or otherwise injured. Twelve volunteer firefighters in Victoria were killed in the fire at Beaconsfield.
Who started Ash Wednesday?
This practice is found in the Gregorian Sacramentary of the late 8th century. About two centuries later, Ælfric of Eynsham, an Anglo-Saxon abbot, wrote of the rite of strewing ashes on heads at the start of Lent.
How long did the Ash Wednesday bushfire go for?
Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by hot winds of up to 110 km/h (68 mph) caused widespread destruction across the states of Victoria and South Australia….
| Ash Wednesday bushfires | |
|---|---|
| Aftermath of the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires at Mount Macedon | |
| Location | Australia: Victoria and South Australia |
| Statistics |
How many homes were lost in the Ash Wednesday fires?
On 16 February 1983 the Ash Wednesday bushfires burned approximately 210,000 hectares of land, 2,080 homes were destroyed and 75 people, including 47 Victorians, lost their lives.
How long did the Ash Wednesday fires burn for?
What happened Ash Wednesday 1983?
The 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, near Narraweena, SA. The 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, near Narraweena, SA. On February 16, 1983, a series of bushfires swept across South Australia and Victoria resulting in the loss of 75 lives and the destruction of more than 3,000 buildings.
What is the history behind Ash Wednesday?
As many other traditions of Christianity, the origins of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to ancient Rome. There, sinners and penitents dressed in sackcloth were sprinkled with ashes to start their period of public penance on the first day of Lent.
How did Ash Wednesday get its name?
Ash Wednesday derives its name from this practice, which is accompanied by the words, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or the dictum “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations.
Who invented Ash Wednesday?
How did the Ash Wednesday fires end?
Residents were forced down to the water edge of beaches in the areas to escape the flames. The total land area burnt was approximately 2,100 km2 (520,000 acres; 210,000 hectares) in Victoria and 2,080 km2 (510,000 acres; 208,000 hectares) in South Australia.
Where did Ash Wednesday start?
It was the practice in Rome for penitents and grievous sinners to begin their period of public penance on the first day of Lent in preparation for their restoration to the sacrament of the Eucharist.
What damage did Ash Wednesday cause?
Ash Wednesday was one of Australia’s worst fires. More than 3,700 buildings were destroyed or damaged and 2,545 individuals and families lost their homes. Livestock losses were very high, with more than 340,000 sheep, 18,000 cattle and numerous native animals either dead or later destroyed.
What caused the Ash Wednesday Fire of 1983?
Ash Wednesday (16 February 1983) experienced over 100 fires swept across Victoria and South Australia, killing 75 people and causing widespread damage. High temperatures, intense winds, and low summer rainfall caused a high fire danger in Victoria’s eucalypt forests.
What were the Ash Wednesday bushfires?
The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, [3] were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983, which was Ash Wednesday.
How often do bushfires happen in history?
Bushfires as severe as the Ash Wednesday fires however, appear to occur six to ten times a century. Over 100 fires started on February 16 1983, the day now known as Ash Wednesday.
What happened in the South Australia bushfires of 1983?
On February 16, 1983, a series of bushfires swept across South Australia and Victoria resulting in the loss of 75 lives and the destruction of more than 3,000 buildings. Residents recall the day was part of a heatwave during a 10-month drought, with very low humidity, temperatures as high as 43C and winds reaching more than 100 kilometres per hour.