particular reference to wind changes and fronts, was undertaken by the Bureau of Meteorology. An emergency disaster plan, known as Displan, was also legislated. Many of the lessons learned in building better homes for fire survival, bush management and emergency response efficiency in analysis of the fires conducted by the CSIRO were to prove vital in later crises, including the 1994 Eastern seaboard and 2003 Canberra fire outbreaks. A study was conducted into the 32 fatalities (excluding firefighters) that occurred in Victoria. It revealed that 25 were outside their homes, several of whom died in vehicles while attempting to escape the conflagration. It was found that delaying evacuation until the last minute was a common failing. Legacy Until the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, Ash Wednesday had the highest-recorded death toll for a bushfire disaster, with 75 deaths. For the next quarter century, Ash Wednesday was used as the measure for all bushfire emergencies in Australia; though since 2009, that has supplemented by the lessons learned from Black Saturday. It remains well known as one of the worst natural disasters in Australia's history. Many psychological studies were undertaken in the months and years after the fire and found that the events left many in the affected communities with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even 20 years after the disaster in 2003. The lasting impact of Ash Wednesday was highlighted in 2008, when its 25th anniversary received much public and media attention. Commemoration sites have been set up in areas that were hit worst by the fires, with museums hosting exhibits inviting survivors to tell their stories. Areas affected in Victoria See also List of disasters in Australia by death toll South Australian Country Fire Service Country Fire Authority (Victoria) Mount Lofty (South Australia, location of one of the SA fires) Black Friday bushfires 1967 Tasmanian fires Black Saturday bushfires 2015 Sampson Flat bushfires References External links Further information from the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment State Library of Victoria's Bushfires in Victoria Research Guide Guide to locating books, government reports, websites, statistics, newspaper reports and images about the Ash Wednesday fires. McHugh, Peter. (2022). The 1982-83 Victorian Bushfire Season : Including Ash Wednesday – 16 February 1983. A forester’s perspective. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3112961467/view 'Coming to grips with the price of flames' Newspaper article The Australian. Anglesea Online: Remembering Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday in the Macedon Ranges The Volunteer, official