What was Black Saturday?
Black Saturday was a series of devastating bushfires in Victoria on 7 February 2009. The fires killed 173 people, making them the deadliest bushfires in Australian history.
The fires broke out during extreme weather, with temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius in Melbourne and strong winds. Conditions followed a long drought and record heatwave.
More than 400 fires burned across Victoria. The worst hit areas included Kinglake, Marysville, Strathewen and Flowerdale.
Destruction and response
More than 2,000 homes were destroyed and around 450,000 hectares were burned. Marysville was almost completely destroyed.
A Royal Commission investigated the fires and made many recommendations, including changes to warnings, building standards, power line safety and the stay or go policy.
The fire danger rating system was changed to include a new category, Catastrophic or Code Red. Black Saturday led to major changes in how Australians prepare for and respond to bushfires. Memorials have been built in affected communities.
In the aftermath, governments and charities provided support for survivors, and many towns were slowly rebuilt over the following decade. The Kinglake and Marysville communities built new schools, halls and memorial gardens, and the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal raised hundreds of millions of dollars from donors across Australia and overseas.