10th February 2023
Next week marks the 40th anniversary of Ash Wednesday, one of the most significant bushfire events in Australian history.
There were more than 180 fires on 16 February 1983, including 8 major blazes across many towns and regional communities throughout Victoria. It is estimated more than 16,000 firefighters were involved in the response efforts.
Forty-seven Victorians lost their lives including 14 CFA volunteers. In the Surf Coast Shire, the fires claimed 3 lives, 729 homes, 53 other buildings, many livestock and many kilometres of fencing.
The conditions leading up to Ash Wednesday were horrific. Severe rainfall deficiencies during 1982 produced drought conditions throughout Victoria in 1983. The ten months between April 1982 and January 1983 were at that time, the driest on record.
The Surf Coast Shire Council is holding a community gathering to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of the Ash Wednesday fires next Thursday the 16th between 12pm and 2pm at the Aireys Inlet Community Centre.
It also serves as a timely reminder that whilst the crowds have left the coast, the fire season still continues and due to climate change it is likely to get longer each year.
