Australia's "Darkest Day"

Australia’s devastating bushfires have killed at least 171 people and left thousands homeless.

The Melbourne Herald Sun reports whole towns have been declared crime scenes.

Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching Newsy.com.

We’re tracking coverage from Australian newspapers and TV networks, CNN and the BBC.

First, let’s take a look at some headlines on the disaster from Australian newspaper websites.

The Melbourne Age prints: “Our Darkest Day: A State of Mourning”

The Sydney Daily Telegraph says: “They Had No Hope: The Victims from the Valley of Death”

The Herald Sun headlines: “The Houses Weren’t Burning, They Were Exploding”

The newspaper’s website also shows an interactive map of where the fires are located.

The Age brings readers an aerial view of the devastation. A reporter describes the scenario from above in this audio slideshow.

“You think that it’s been down and dusted as bad as it is but it’s still ongoing. From the aerial we saw a lot of devastation in places like Steels Creek and King Lake obviously. You know just flatten houses. The only things that were left standing are chimneys.” (The Age)

ABC News Australia takes a chronological approach and reports these bushfires aren’t a freak occurrence. It looks at similar devastation from the past.

“The death toll makes it Australia’s worst natural disaster, but the conditions which brought about the inferno have happened before: extreme summer heat after a long draught. ... Until now, Victoria’s most destructive bushfires swept through the state on January 13, 1939, the day that became to be known as Black Friday. Seventy-one people died in those fires.” (ABC News Australia)


CNN seeks to explain why the catastrophe was so deadly.

“It’s basically the combination of the extreme heat about 47 degrees Celsius, very dry conditions on the ground and high winds creating the deadly conditions. I mean some witnesses described “the tornadoes of fires and fireballs erupting all around them.” (CNN)

The BBC highlights what might have been the actual cause of the calamity: arsonists. It reports Australia’s prime minister referring to them as “mass murderers,” and cites a recent report by the Australian Institute of Criminology:

“[A]n estimated 50% of the nation's annual 20,000 to 30,000 bushfires are either known or suspected to have been deliberately lit. But little is known about the arsonists. … Apart from the fact that an experienced bushfire arsonist is an elusive culprit, much of the crime scene evidence is immediately destroyed or is altered significantly.” (BBC)

SBS World News Australia focuses on aid for the victims.

“[B]ig business has quickly stepped in with generous donations. Many organisations have shrugged off the global financial crisis and offered big donations or a slice of their profits for a day.” (SBS World News)

Who do you think is a bigger culprit in Australia’s deadly bushfires, the arsonists or the climate change? Please share your thoughts and check out links to our sources.

I’m Charlotte Bellis for Newsy.com.