Who burned Australia? | John Baxter | Kharidobechobooks

Who Burned Australia? is a gripping, journalistic exposé and historical account of the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, which rank among the most devastating natural disasters in Australian history.
The book chronicles the terrifying timeline of February 16, 1983, when over 100 fires swept across South Australia and Victoria, destroying over 300,000 hectares of land, wiping out thousands of homes, and claiming 75 lives.
 Rather than treating the event merely as an unavoidable natural disaster, John Baxter delivers a fierce critique of the human element behind the catastrophe. He investigates the systemic failures in land management, local preparedness, and emergency response infrastructure.
 True to its provocative title, the narrative delves deeply into the investigations surrounding the origins of the blazes, examining how a combination of extreme weather conditions (severe drought and freak winds) mixed with human negligence and suspected arson to create an uncontrollable firestorm.