Bushfires in Victoria
The state of Victoria in Australia has had a long history of catastrophic bushfires.
The most deadly of these, the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009 claiming 173 lives. Legislation, planning, management, and suppression are the responsibilities of the Victoria (Australia)|Victorian State Government]
By number of fires
- Lightning - 26%
- Deliberate - 25%
- Agricultural - 16%
- Campfire - 10%
- Cigarettes/Matches - 7%
- Unknown Causes - 6%
By area burnt
- Lightning - 46%
- Public Utilities - 14%
- Deliberate - 14%
- Misc - 9%
- Agricultural - 7%
- Planned burn escapes - 5%
- Unknown Causes - 3%
- Machinery/Exhaust - 2%
- Campfire - 1%
- Cigarettes/Matches - less than 1%
Major Victorian Bushfires
Most extensive fires
- 1851 - 6 February "Black Thursday"
- 1938-39 - December - January "Black Friday"
- 2020 - 3 January "2019–20 Australian bushfire season"
- 2003 - January - March "2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires"
- 2006-07 - 1 December - 6 February "Eastern Victoria Great Divide bushfires"
- 1944 - January - February
- 1983 - 16 February "Ash Wednesday"
- 2009 - 7 February "Black Saturday"
- 1965 - Gippsland
- 1898 - 1 February "Red Tuesday"
Deadliest fires
- 2009 - 7 February - March "Black Saturday"
- 1939 - December - January "Black Friday"
- 1926 - 14 February - March "Black Sunday"
- 1944 - December - February
- 1983 - 16 February "Ash Wednesday"
- 1962 - 14–16 January
- 1969 - 8 January
- 1942 - Western Victoria
- 1905 - 1 December
- 1898 - 1 February "Red Tuesday"
- 1851 - 6 February "Black Thursday"
- 1943 - 22 December
- 1952 - January - March, Central Victoria
- 1977 - 12 February, Western Victoria
- 1965 - 17 January Longwood, Northern Victoria
- 1998 - 2 December Linton, Western Victoria
- 1985 - 14 January Avoca, Central Victoria
- 1997 - 21 January Dandenong Ranges