The Black Friday Fires in Victoria, Australia

A series of fires converged and swept rapidly across large areas of victoria, australia. The event known as black friday was the culmination of several years worth of drought combined with high temperatures and powerful winds. Fierce winds swept the flames across great distances, levelling giant trees and blowing embers miles away where they then started new fires in regions that had never burned before. Approximately 13 hundred buildings were destroyed, including 700 homes, 69 sawmills and a host of other businesses and farms. A year's long period of drought caused many of the areas creeks and rivers to dry. High temperatures and dry winds had drained most of the moisture from the ground, leaving the