January 18: On This Day in World History … briefly

2003:  Bushfire kills four in Canberra, Australia

The 2003 Canberra bushfires caused severe damage to the suburbs and outer areas of Canberra, capital city of Australia from January 18 to 22, 2003. Almost 70 percent of the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) pastures, pine plantations and nature parks were severely damaged and sadly most of the Mount Stromlo Observatory was destroyed.

After burning for a week around the edges of the territory, the fires entered the suburbs of Canberra on January 18. Over the next ten hours, four people died, over 490 were injured and 470 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, requiring a significant relief and reconstruction effort.

On 8 January 2003, lightning strikes started four fires in New South Wales, over the border but in close proximity to Canberra. Despite their proximity and very small initial sizes, low intensity, and low rate of spread, these fires were not extinguished or contained by New South Wales emergency services personnel. Subsequent inquiries into the bushfires, including the Roche report, the McLeod inquiry and the Coroners Report, identified poor management of the initial response as a key contributor to the disaster that unfolded on January 18.

On February 18, 2006, an independent group of fire victims installed a plaque to honour the four people who died in the fires – and the volunteer firefighters who fought so hard.

The plaque is located at the end of the walkway to the memorial, immediately before the memorial walls. Fire victims and residents held a simple ceremony to mark the occasion.

Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.

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