Black Saturday Fires, Victoria What Happened? On the 7 th of February 2009 wild bushfires enraged the state of Victoria, Australia. This disaster lasted until the 14 th of March. So overall this disaster was so big it took over a month to fight it off. Where it Happened? This disaster occurred in the lower part of Victoria, Australia, North-East of Melbourne. Two of the major towns affected were Maysville and Kinglake. How it Happened? There are main causes of bushfires. Human causes, Natural causes, Accidental causes and Mechanical causes. The Black Saturday bushfires were created by more than one cause. On the 7 th of February, wind speeds were up to 100km/ph and the temperatures were around mid 40’s. Power lines fell, sparking flames and there were also counts of deliberately lit fires in several other areas. The conditions of the day aggravated the fires making them huge. Why it Happened? One of the main reasons for why it happened was the weather conditions of the day. High temperatures in the mid 40’s and incredible winds speeds up to 100km/ph ripped through the state. Another reason is people with an obsession of fire (arsonist). Who took advantage of the day lighting fires so they could watch the flora and fauna burn. What was the impact? The impact was huge on Victoria, one the biggest disasters Australia had ever seen. 173 people confirmed dead, 414 people injured, 1.1 million acres were burnt and over 3000 structures destroyed leaving thousands of people without a home to go back to. What needs to be done? At the time of the Black Saturday fires Victoria had no effective bushfire plan in action. When these fires devastation ended Victoria brought out a new and more advanced fire plan. This plan also included the National Telephone Based Warning System (NTBWS). This system is now Australian wide. Mikayla Lane 9b

Christchurch Earthquakes, New Zealand What Happened? At 4:35am, Saturday September the 7 th an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 shook the southern island of New Zealand. The Earthquake struck so hard that the north island of New Zealand felt its fury. Where it Happened? The earthquakes occurred in the city of Christ church. Which is around the middle section of New Zealand ‘s southern island. Christchurch is New Zealand’s second largest city with a population of 372,000. How it Happened? The tectonic plate running near New Zealand

Cyclone Tomas, Fiji 2010