Canberra Bushfires 2003 - how it happened [AH011]

The 2003 Canberra bushfires caused severe damage to the suburbs and outer areas of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during 18-22 January 2003. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) pastures, pine plantations, and nature parks were severely damaged, and most of the Mount Stromlo Observatory was destroyed. After burning for a week around the edges of the ACT, the fires entered the suburbs of Canberra on 18 January 2003. Over the next ten hours, four people died, over 490 were injured, and 470 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, requiring a significant relief and reconstruction effort.
With actual video of firefighters dealing with the firestorm as it hit.

[@ClosedEyeVisualisations]

I was there, we were trapped in the western suburbs with my Mother and little Sister. I was 14 or 15. The sky was dark orange and then black during the day. Kangaroos and wildlife were all over the streets in disarray. We were so lucky, some houses in our street were taken but ours survived. Soot, ash was on everything. No phones, electricity or water. There were good Samaritans trying to go door to door to provide food and water because so many people were in their homes with no where to go. There was a zoo near we were. So many animals died in their enclosures.