Inferno: The Day Victoria BurnedIn the words of Roger Franklin, fire can be "a curious, wonderful thing". On February 7, 2009, however, there was nothing wonderful about the flames that engulfed Victoria, killing 173 people and reducing several towns to dust. Franklin's book, INFERNO: THE DAY VICTORIA BURNED, is the first to explore the horrors of the day that will forever be known as Black Saturday. Not only does the author explain what happened that day - individual heroism, unimaginable tragedy, tales of towns all but wiped off the map - but also why it happened. The author examines the roles of the Victorian government, the CFA and the local councils that were so determined to protect roadside vegetation. He analyses the pros and cons of preventive burning, questions the merits of the state's controversial stay-or-go policy, and delves into the mind of an arsonist. Through it all, there is a clear message: failure was everywhere on Black Saturday. With bushfires a constant threat in Australian life, Franklin cites many important lessons that need to be learned if such a disaster is to be avoided in the future. |
Contents
FOREWORD | 9 |
Fire | 17 |
Wind | 21 |
Earth | 28 |
Formula For Fire | 36 |
Lost In The Woods | 50 |
A Scent Of Smoke | 61 |
The Green Fuse | 74 |
Under The Volcano | 138 |
Ring Of Fire | 150 |
Donkeys And Lions | 166 |
Marysvilles Pyre | 190 |
Water And Beer | 209 |
The Dead Are Many | 214 |
Ashes To Ashes | 227 |
AFTERWORD | 235 |
The Burning Question | 86 |
Roads To Ruin | 109 |
What Are Mates For? | 121 |
Obscured By Smoke | 128 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 248 |
APPENDICES | 251 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aborigines afternoon Alleway Andreou Australian Bernard Teague Black Friday Black Saturday blog bloke Brumby burning bush bushfire risk Bushfires Royal Commission called Callignee centre CFA volunteer CFA's Cleland Commissioner council Country Fire Authority Creek crew Crosby David Packham dead Department of Sustainability ember attack Emergency Management eucalypts evacuation February February 9 fire's firefighters flames forest front fuel Gallipoli Park Gissara ground Healesville heat hectares Herald Sun hills IECC Incident Controller inferno Interview John Brumby June Kilmore kilometres Kinglake knew Labertouche later Marysville Marysville's McGahy Melbourne metres minutes Murrindindi Narbethong neighbours night Nillumbik North Warrandyte official Pintupi planning Portman radio RECOMMENDATION residents Russell Rees safety Saturday's smoke stay Strathewen submission Sustainability and Environment tank tanker Teague Testimony things town trees truck vegetation Victoria Victorian Bushfires Royal warnings weeks wind Wonga Park