Suburban fires a surprise – report

THE 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission found that Narre Warren residents and police were “surprised” by the outbreak of fire in an urban area.
After research into the fires in Narre Warren North and Narre Warren South on Black Saturday, the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre discovered that very few residents expected to be affected by bushfire.
The commission handed its final report to the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser on Saturday 31 July.
The four-volume report is the culmination of an 18-month inquiry into the causes and circumstances of the fires that devastated parts of Victoria in January and February 2009, killing 173 people.
The report mentioned that initial attack efforts devoted to each of the fires in Casey were successful, and the cooperative arrangements between the MFB and the CFA worked well.
There were no fatalities as a result of the fires. Seven houses were destroyed in Narre Warren South.
The overall area burnt in Harkaway on Black Saturday was 147 hectares.