Ash Wednesday bushfires , known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II , were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983 , which was Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar . Within twelve hours , more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km/h ( 68 mph ) caused widespread destruction across the states of Victoria and South Australia . Years of severe drought and extreme weather combined to create one of Australia 's worst fire days in a century . The fires became the deadliest bushfire in Australian history until the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009
Black Saturday bushfires
Black Saturday bushfires
Ash Wednesday bushfires