Historical information

Fanned by powerful winds, the Black Friday fires (13 January 1939) swept rapidly across large areas of Victoria, causing widespread destruction. Flames leaped large distances, and giant trees were blown out of the ground by fierce winds. Large pieces of burning bark (embers) were carried for kilometres, starting new fires in places that had not previously been affected by flames.

Almost two million hectares burned across the state. Large areas of state forest, containing giant stands of Mountain Ash and other valuable timbers, were destroyed. As a result, approximately 575,000 hectares of reserved forest and 780,000 hectares of Crown land burned.

Physical description

Four Files Forests Commission of Victoria Northern Area Report on the 1938-39 Fire Season; and the Fire Protection Policy in Respect of Field activities Prior to the Incidence of the 1939 Fires.