By Christian 6M

When people start bushfires in Victoria

The decision that changed Australia is about people and hot weather that start bushfires, it was caused by Brendan Sokaluk that started a fires in Kinglake.

The decision

Bushfires are deadly because most people would be dead if they went near one. When there is a lot of smoke in the air it means there is a fire nearby and it is most likely to be a bushfire.

The outcome

On the 7th of February 2009 at around 11:49am, a massive bushfire started in Kinglake in the middle of Victoria. The temperature that day had reached 46.4 degrees.

Many other areas in Victoria were also affected including Marysville, Beechworth, Bendigo, Redesdale, Bunyip State Park, Central Gippsland, Dandenong Rangers, Wilsons Promontory, Maroondah/Yarra, Harsham, Coleraine and Weerite.

This is a map of Victoria showing

where the bushfires happened.

The bushfire in Kinglake started when there was a power fault as well as a lightning strike and hot weather. They hit different areas in Kinglake.

One of the fires in Kinglake was started by a person named Brendan Sokaluk. He started it in an area of Kinglake by throwing out a cigarette at a tree. As a result the tree then burned and started a chain reaction to the other trees then the grass then the houses. He was found guilty in court and sent to jail for 17 years and 9 months.

The fire went for about five weeks with no rain at all, everything being dry and the hot wind going 120 kilometres per hour going towards east. The fire travelled 60 metres every 30 seconds.

Sadly 173 people died, 414 people were injured, 2,029 houses were burnt with peoples belonging in them. Towns were totally destroyed. 450,000 hectares were burnt. One fire fighter was killed, 9 people died in one house, 7,562 people couldn’t live in Kinglake and 5,000 animals were killed.

Fire fighters came from all over Australia, New Zealand and the United States to help out put out the bushfire. 5000 fire fighters were all working together to try and put out the bushfire. They had to wait for the weather to change for the fire to go out completely, it wasn’t safe at all for anyone even the fire fighters because they would still burn in the fires.

$4.4 billion dollars worth of damage was done. It was the worst bushfire that was ever recorded because it was hot and the fire was 4,500km by area.

A fire fighter found a koala that was exhausted and he gave the koala a drink of water. His name was Sam. The koala then died on the 6th of August 2009.

This is Sam the Koala

The fire ended on the 14th of March 2009. Everything was black and burnt. No one could live there until the place was cleaned up and people were left homeless for quite a while until they could find somewhere to live.

Lots of children and pets were affected by the bushfire and couldn’t live in Kinglake. People were left homeless and most of their belonging was lost. Some children couldn’t coup with all that smoke and fire smell and were sent to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The consequences

The Government had already made some laws on fire bans years ago like if it is very hot you can’t light fires, throw cigarettes outside, cook on a barbeque, light a candle, light a camp fire, light a match stick and play with fire.

Don’t do these on any hot

days.

A big clean-up was needed after the bushfire. It took days to clean up the whole area of Kinglake and lots of homes, signs, poles and new farms were being remade for people to go to Kinglake again.

The fundraising money came from the government of Australian, works raised $50 million dollars to clean up the whole entire area of Kinglake. Money was rising slowly by the government of Australia to clean up. The royal commission about the bushfires were established to investigate the causes and responses on the bushfire.

Bushfires can be so hot that it can melt anything in its way make gum trees explode and people and animals can be burnt and be left with their skeleton.

Interesting fact

Date What happened

3rd of December 2007 Kevin Rudd was the Prime Minister.7th of February 2009 The bushfire started in Kinglake.8th of February 2009 The bushfire was spreading fast and making

people panic.16th of February 2009 6 different fires were out of control.19th of February 2009 More Victorian police attended the bushfire.23rd of February 2009 Temperatures went down to 30 degrees.27th of February 2009 The bushfires were under control but they were

still burning.3rd of March 2009 A cool weather change came by.4th of March 2009 There was finally rain.5th of March - 13th of March 2009

The bushfire were getting smaller and smaller.

14th of March 2009 The bushfire was completely put out.15th of March - now The trees and the grass are slowing turning green

Timeline

I think Black Saturday is a sad decision because lots of people died from the fire and were calling for help, it would be scary to be trapped in a house and no one was around to help you get out.

My Reflection

The things that I think are right about this decision are that some workes are rebuilding people’s homes and cleaning up Kinglake. The things that I think are wrong about this decision are that a man named Brendan Sokaluk started a fire and shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

If I had the power to change this decision I would try to stop Brendan Sokaluk by telling him to not throw a cigarette out the window or light a fire or else you will get thrown into prison or get a fine.

Chain Reaction- something that is spreading across.Established-a decision that is being made.Fundraising- money that is raised to help do something.Guilty- something that is done against the law.Result- to find the answer of something.Royal Commission-to investigate the causes and responses.

Glossary

That is all about when people started bushfires in Victoria

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