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Black Saturday (7th February 2009)
WE WILL NEVER FORGET BLACK SATURDAY - 7 FEBRUARY 2009
The residents of Wandong - Heathcote Junction will never forget Black Saturday. A horror day was forecast days ahead but nothing could prepare us for what happened on this terrible day. The temperature reached 48 degrees celsius and a fierce hot north-westerly wind prevailed.
At 11.50am a fire started near Saunders Road, Kilmore East. A fire storm was created and it raced toward our towns consuming pine and blue gum plantations in its path. Our community suffered large losses of homes, livestock, wildlife, sheds, fencing, environment and human life.
If it were not for the many helicopters water bombing and the efforts of the Rural Fire Brigades, it is almost certain our towns would have been completely destroyed.
Our towns were hit hard but worse was to come when the fire ball spread rapidly toward Kinglake at a pace that gave residents no chance of last minute escape and over 100 people perished. A total of 173 Victorians died on Black Saturday - a day we will never forget.