The Ash Wednesday bushfires

1. Where did these fires take place?

1.1. South Australia and Victoria. The Ash Wednesday bushfires were a continuum of fires that occurred in south-eastern Australia

2. How did the fire start?

2.1. The Ash Wednesday bushfires started from a defective private power line.

3. How many lives were lost and how many were injured?

3.1. There were a total of 47 deaths in Victoria and 28 deaths in South Australia. There were a total of 2,676 non-fatal injuries‎.

4. How many animals were lost during the fires?

4.1. Over 340,000 sheep and over 18,000 cattle were lost. A number of native animals were also lost.

5. How many buildings were destroyed

5.1. Over 3,700 buildings were destroyed or damaged

6. What caused the fire to spread?

6.1. The spread of the fire was caused by a sudden and violent wind change in the evening of the fire which rapidly changed the direction and size of the fire.