when was black saturday bushfires

The Black Saturday bushfires took place on Saturday, 7 February 2009, primarily in the Australian state of Victoria.

Key date and duration

• The main and most devastating fire activity occurred on 7 February 2009, which is why the event is known as Black Saturday.

• Related fires and firefighting operations continued for weeks, with the broader Black Saturday bushfire period often described as spanning from 7 February to mid‑March 2009.

What happened on that day?

• Extremely high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds on 7 February created catastrophic bushfire conditions across Victoria.

• Multiple fires either started or flared out of control that day, including the Kilmore East and Murrindindi fires, which later merged into the Kinglake complex.

Impact and significance

• The Black Saturday bushfires caused 173 deaths, the highest loss of life from a bushfire in Australian history, and destroyed thousands of homes.

• The scale of the disaster led to major reviews of fire warnings, emergency management and community preparedness, and the day is now marked in Australia as a defining tragedy.

TL;DR: Black Saturday bushfires = 7 February 2009 in Victoria, with fires and recovery efforts extending for weeks afterward.