Black Friday (1939)
The Black Friday fires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria, Australia, are considered one of the worst natural bushfires (wildfires) in the world, and certainly the single worst in Australian history as measured by land affected. Almost 20,000 km² (4,942,000 acres, 2,000,000 ha) of land was burnt, 71 people died, several towns were entirely destroyed and the Royal Commission that resulted from it led to major changes in forest management. Over 1,300 homes and 69 sawmills were burnt and a total of 3,700 buildings were destroyed. It was calculated that three quarters of the State of Victoria was directly or indirectly affected by the disaster. The Royal Commission into the fires was to note, "it appeared the whole State was alight on Friday, 13 January 1939".
Read more about Black Friday (1939): Conditions, Effects, Long-term Consequences, Comparison With Other Major Australian Bushfires
Famous quotes containing the words black and/or friday:
“For all of him dead and
gone and vanished from us, and all of him which
clings to our speech black god of our time.”
—Imamu Amiri Baraka (b. 1934)
““Letting go” ...implies generosity, a talent a good mother needs in abundance. Separation is not loss, it is not cutting yourself off from someone you love. It is giving freedom to the other person to be herself before she becomes resentful, stunted, and suffocated by being tied too close. Separation is not the end of love. It creates love.”
—Nancy Friday (20th century)