They called it Black Saturday – a day in February 2009 that residents of south-east Australia will never forget. The heat had already exceeded 45°C (113°F) in places on Friday 6 February, while firefighters and the public dreaded what the dawn would bring.
By mid-morning on Saturday 7 February, blistering temperatures close to 47°C (117°F) were accompanied by winds blasting over 100km/h (62mph).
The additional combination of desiccated vegetation and extremely low humidity set the stage for the most devastating bushfires in the country’s history.
At around noon, a single power cable was downed by the winds, igniting a devastating blaze. By the evening, thousands of homes had been razed to the ground, and close to 170 people had been killed.
Elsewhere across the state of Victoria, hundreds of other fires raged, bringing more death and destruction.
