Royal commission: most bushfire victims died indoors
Police records have revealed most victims of the Black Saturday bushfires died inside homes and buildings, casting further doubt on the option to “stay and defend”.
The third week of public hearings at the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission heard evidence that 113 of the 173 victims died in homes, while 11 people died in other buildings.
Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) advice to residents published last year states that “staying with a well prepared home during a bushfire is a safe option if you are physically and mentally able to defend your home”.
Counsel assisting the royal commission has called into question the adequacy of the “stay or go” strategy, bushfire warning systems and co-ordination of the emergency services.
Fire behaviour expert Kevin Tolhurst told the royal commission the CFA was not adequately prepared to deal with large and fast moving bushfires.
The royal commission heard that bureaucratic bungling led to costly delays in the broadcast of critical warning information. A CFA volunteer told the hearing he authorised an urgent threat warning hours ahead of the Kinglake fire at 4.10pm, before being replaced by a paid CFA staff member who was unaware of the message.
Kinglake residents received no CFA warning until 5.55pm – 35 minutes before fire swept through the town.
Late in the week it emerged that families of CFA volunteers received private warnings hours before the public.
And Emergency Management Australia Director-General Tony Pearce told the royal commission plans to introduce a telephone-based warning system as early as 2001 were consistently thwarted by disagreement between state and territory governments.
The third week of public hearings at the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission heard evidence that 113 of the 173 victims died in homes, while 11 people died in other buildings.
Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) advice to residents published last year states that “staying with a well prepared home during a bushfire is a safe option if you are physically and mentally able to defend your home”.
Counsel assisting the royal commission has called into question the adequacy of the “stay or go” strategy, bushfire warning systems and co-ordination of the emergency services.
Fire behaviour expert Kevin Tolhurst told the royal commission the CFA was not adequately prepared to deal with large and fast moving bushfires.
The royal commission heard that bureaucratic bungling led to costly delays in the broadcast of critical warning information. A CFA volunteer told the hearing he authorised an urgent threat warning hours ahead of the Kinglake fire at 4.10pm, before being replaced by a paid CFA staff member who was unaware of the message.
Kinglake residents received no CFA warning until 5.55pm – 35 minutes before fire swept through the town.
Late in the week it emerged that families of CFA volunteers received private warnings hours before the public.
And Emergency Management Australia Director-General Tony Pearce told the royal commission plans to introduce a telephone-based warning system as early as 2001 were consistently thwarted by disagreement between state and territory governments.