1967 Tasmanian fires 1858127 220870436 2008-06-22T00:30:16Z Rjwilmsi 203434 gen fixes + convert *date= in [[Template:cite news|cite news/web/paper templates]] to required [[ISO 8601]] format using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Infobox wildfire |title= 1967 "Black Tuesday" Tasmanian Bushfires |image= |caption= |location= Throughout [[Tasmania]] |cost= $(AU)101,000,000 |date= [[February 7]], [[1967]] |source= [[heatwave]], [[back-burning]], [[arson]] |area burnt= 2,642.7 square kilometres (653,025.4 acres) |landuse= Mixed, residential and bush |fatalities= 62 lives |damage= Over 1293 homes lost }} The '''1967 Tasmanian fires''' were an [[Australia]]n [[natural disaster]] which occurred on [[7 February]] [[1967]], an event which became known as the ''Black Tuesday'' bushfires. They were the most deadly [[bushfire]]s that [[Tasmania]] has ever experienced, leaving 62 people dead, 900 injured and over seven thousand homeless.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.examiner.com.au/story.asp?id=383669 |date=2007-02-07 |title=Four decades after Black Tuesday, top firefighter warns ... Repeat of fire horror feared |accessdate=2007-02-13|publisher=The Examiner|last=Price|first=Nic}}</ref> == Extent of the fires == 125 separate fire fronts burnt through some 2,642.7 square kilometres (653,025.4 acres) of land in Southern [[Tasmania]] within the space of five hours. Fires raged from near [[Hamilton, Tasmania]] and [[Bothwell, Tasmania]] to the [[D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Tasmania|D'Entrecasteaux Channel]] as well as [[Snug, Tasmania|Snug]]. There was extensive damage to agricultural property near the channel, the [[Derwent Valley]] and the [[Huon Valley]]. Fires also destroyed forest, public infrastructure and properties around [[Mount Wellington (Tasmania)|Mount Wellington]] and many small towns along the [[Derwent]] estuary and east of [[Hobart]]. == Death toll and damage == The worst of the fires was the '''Hobart Fire''', which encroached upon the city of [[Hobart]]. In total, the fires claimed 62 lives in a single day. 52 people died in the [[Hobart]] area. Property loss was also extensive with 1293 homes, and over 1700 other buildings destroyed. The fires destroyed 80 bridges, 4800 sections of power lines, 1500 motor vehicles and over 100 other structures. It was estimated that at least 62,000 livestock were destroyed. The total damage amounted to $45,000,000 in 1967 Australian dollar values.<ref>[http://www.brokersclimb.com/insurance-brokers-journal/2006/8/13/the-high-cost-of-natural-disasters-in-australia.html The high cost of natural disasters in Australia]</ref> == Causes == The late winter and early spring of [[1966]] had been wet over southeastern Tasmania, giving a large amount of growth by November. However, in November, Tasmania began its driest eight-month period since 1885, and by the end of January [[1967]] the dryness had dried off the luxuriant growth provided by the early spring rains in the area. Though January was a cool month, hot weather began early in February, so that in the days leading up to [[7 February]], [[1967]], several bushfires were burning uncontrolled in the areas concerned. Some of these fires had been deliberately lit for backburning despite the extremely dry conditions at the time. Reports into the causes of the fire stated that only 22 of the 110 fires were started accidentally. Shortly before midday on the 7th, a combination of extremely high temperatures, (the maximum was 39 °C (102°F)), very low humidity and very strong winds from the north-west led to disaster. Interestingly, although this fire was by far the worst in terms of loss of life and property in Tasmanian history, the meteorological conditions are not totally uncommon there. McArthur's report[http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/fire/IUFRO/CONFLAG/HOBART67/AlanMc67.HTM] on the fire notes that 'very similar conditions have occurred on three or four occasions during the past 70 years'. == Comparison with other major Australian bushfires == If considered in terms of both loss of property and loss of life, in [[1967]] this represented one of the worst disasters to have occurred in [[Australia]]. It is comparable in scale with the [[1939]] [[Black Friday (1939)|Black Friday bushfires]] in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] (where the loss of 72 lives was nevertheless spread over several days) and the subsequent [[1983]] [[Ash Wednesday fires|Ash Wednesday bushfires]] in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] and [[South Australia]], which claimed 75 lives and razed over 2,000 homes. ==References== {{reflist}} {{Refimprove|date=September 2007}} ==Further reading== * Chambers, D.M. and Brettingham-Moore, C.G. (1967) ''The bush fire disaster of 7th February, 1967 : report and summary of evidence (excluding appendices)'' ( Solicitor-General (Mr. D. M. Chambers) and the Master and Registrar of the Supreme Court (Mr. C. G. Brettingham-Moore) Office of the Solicitor-General. Hobart,Tasmania. * Wettenhall, R. L. (1975) ''Bushfire disaster : an Australian community in crisis'' Sydney : Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0207129215 ==See also== *[[List of disasters in Australia by death toll]] *[[Bushfire]] {{Bushfires in Australia}} [[Category:1967 in Australia|Tasmanian fires]] [[Category:History of Tasmania]] [[Category:Bushfires in Australia|Tasmanian fires, 1967]] [[Category:Disasters in Australia]] [[Category:1967 disasters|Tasmanian fires]] [[Category:History of Hobart]]