| Ash Wednesday I | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | 20 February 1980 (1980-02-20) |
| Location | Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°55′S 138°43′E / 34.91°S 138.71°E / -34.91; 138.71 |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 3,770 ha (14.6 sq mi) |
| Impacts | |
| Non-fatal injuries |
|
| Structures destroyed |
|
| Damage | $34,000,000 |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Faulty power lines, arson, and negligence after years of extreme drought |
| Map | |
 
| |
The first Ash Wednesday fires were a series of bushfires that began in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, on Ash Wednesday, 20 February 1980.[1] 51 homes and 25 other buildings were destroyed, including the Anglican Christ Church, Longwood,[2] and 75 farms were affected. 40 people were injured, with 150 left homeless. The fire burnt an area of 3,770 ha (14.6 sq mi),[3] and caused an estimated $34,000,000 damage.[4]
In 1983, after the Ash Wednesday fires in February that year, the 1980 fire became known in South Australia as the "first" Ash Wednesday, or Ash Wednesday I.[3]
