2009 Victorian bushfires

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/2009-victorian-bushfires

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is 2009 Victorian bushfires?Approximately 450,000 hectares (1,100,000 acres)
2. What is the date of major fires?February 7, 2009
3. What is the location?Victoria, Australia
4. What caused the Great Victorian Fires of 2009?The fires were started by a mix of very hot weather, low humidity, strong winds, and dry plants that could burn easily. Some fires were also started by human things like faulty power lines.
5. When did the most dangerous day of the fires happen?The worst day was Black Saturday, on February 7, 2009.

Bushfire: An uncontrolled fire burning in natural vegetation, characterized by rapid spread under favorable conditions.
Black Saturday: The colloquial name for February 7, 2009, the date of the most catastrophic bushfires in Victoria's history.
Fuel Load: The amount of combustible material (vegetation) available to burn in a fire.
Fire Danger Rating: A scale indicating the level of fire risk, with 'Catastrophic' being the highest and most dangerous.