108:. Although as the cyclone tracked down the west coast some rain came around 25 January to ease the fires, not all were fully extinguished. Moreover, as the normal dry summer weather evaporated further moisture from the forests, when another severe cyclone hit Onslow on 12 February it caused even stronger winds (sustained at up to 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) with much stronger gusts) and as this cyclone moved inland, lost intensity and produced no rain in fire-affected areas, decaying bushfires were re-ignited.
140:, though some in that area were thought to have been deliberately lit, and continued to rage within 25 kilometres of Perth city. Although rain was predicted, it did not eventuate. Despite the dryness of the cool change, an easing of the winds allowed fire fighters to finally bring the flames under control. However, in all it is estimated that the fires burned a total of 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi) of bushland, and property damage far exceeded this.
281:/ by G. J. Rodger, Royal Commissioner. (Summary Report covers fires in Chittering, Gidgegannup, Dwellingup, Augusta-Margaret River (Karridale), Pemberton, Denmark, Gleneagle, Kalamunda and Gooseberry Hill, South Coogee, Mandurah, Lesmurdie-Kalamunda-Bickley, and also on the coastal plains north of Perth, and elsewhere such as Balladonia)
84:
remaining almost stationary for some days, hot north-easterly winds developed and became so intense that by the 20th maximum temperatures throughout the south west were uniformly above 40 °C (104 °F) and remained at that level for the following five days. During this period, as the cyclone
62:
Whilst the 1960 rainy season over the affected region had not been excessively dry, rainfall had been below average over the region affected by the fires ever since August of that year - thus the forests were perhaps even drier than they would normally be by
January. However, the underlying cause of
115:
where it burned a significant portion of the town's buildings—500 people were left homeless. As the forests surrounding began re-igniting, the entire population of a number of other mill towns was relocated to
Dwellingup in the following days. The fires continued to burn owing to the strong winds,
278:
Report of the Royal
Commission appointed to enquire into and report upon the bush fires of December, 1960 and January, February and March, 1961 in Western Australia : the measures necessary or desirable to prevent and control such fires and to protect life and property in the future, and the
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The 2 March saw Onslow’s third cyclone in five weeks, which like the second did not produce any rain in the affected areas and led to temperatures reaching in Perth 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) on the first two days of March for the first time. Fires spread southward to
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and then moved steadily southwards, hitting that town on 24–25 January while having a central pressure of 920 hPa. Hurricane-force winds demolished several buildings and storm surge inundated the town with 1.8 metres water. With a strong
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region between 11 and 15 February, and in the
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288: : Department of Conservation and Land Management, Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia, Bushfire CRC
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were largely destroyed by the fires, as were a number of smaller railway and mill settlements. There was no loss of human life.
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occurred in the south-west, which started fires that spread extremely rapidly in the hot, windy conditions.
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had followed a trajectory along the north west
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was conducted to investigate causes and in following years many recommendations were made to improve
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moved slowly along the coast it drenched Onslow and the neighbouring district, but only dry
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Murray and
Mandurah : a sequel history of the Old Murray District of Western Australia
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96:, on 19 January and the following day fires erupted in the timbered country of the
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The first fires were reported from
Dwellingup, 110 kilometres (68 mi) south of
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The fire from
Dwellingup consequently moved downslope toward the major town of
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basic requirements for an effective state fire emergency organization
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265:. Pinjarra, W.A : Shire of Murray and City of Mandurah.
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The Day the Flames Came - Dwellingup 1961 - DVD, 30 minutes
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and many tiny timber towns were completely burnt out -
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Sunday times (Perth, W.A.), 26 Jan. 1986, p. 4
63:the Dwellingup fires lay far to the north in the
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299:Cyclone and fire in South West Western Australia
256:Dwellingup bushfires of 25 years ago remembered
31:. The devastating fires burned large areas of
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176:"Dwellingup and South-Western, WA: Bushfire"
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309:Tropical Cyclone tracks for 1960-61 season
249:The Day the flames came - Dwellingup 1961
16:Series of bushfires in Western Australia
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843:List of Australian bushfire seasons
182:. 13 September 2006. Archived from
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915:February 1961 events in Australia
314:Notable cyclones affecting Onslow
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251:Dwellingup, W.A : J. Holland
910:January 1961 events in Australia
589:Eastern Victorian alpine (2003)
55:. The towns of Dwellingup and
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304:Fires of 1961 - 41-day inferno
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361:Australian Capital Territory
138:Augusta-Margaret River Shire
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273:- fires at pp. 609–628
155:forests of the south-west.
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19:In early 1961, a series of
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905:1960s in Western Australia
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39:from 20 to 24 January, at
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205:Perth rainfall for 1961
143:Following the fires, a
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870:1960s fires in Oceania
479:Kangaroo Island (2007)
464:Ash Wednesday I (1980)
424:New South Wales (2013)
405:Black Christmas (2001)
351:Bushfires in Australia
180:EMA Disasters database
604:Black Saturday (2009)
544:Black Thursday (1851)
449:Adelaide Hills (1939)
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514:Black Tuesday (1967)
474:Black Tuesday (2005)
276:Rodger, G.J. (1961)
234:, 3 March 1961; p. 6
78:high pressure system
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559:Black Sunday (1926)
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454:Black Sunday (1955)
284:Fahy, Moira (2006)
247:Holland, Jo (1982)
80:to the east of the
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554:Red Tuesday (1898)
484:Cherryville (2013)
149:controlled burning
885:1961 in Australia
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186:on 7 October 2007
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188:. Retrieved
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151:in the tall
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106:Mount Helena
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574:Lara (1969)
130:Banksiadale
122:Nanga Brook
43:and in the
880:1961 fires
859:Categories
159:References
37:Dwellingup
102:Mundaring
57:Karridale
53:Kalamunda
41:Pemberton
21:bushfires
535:Victoria
505:Tasmania
153:eucalypt
126:Marrinup
118:Holyoake
113:Pinjarra
829:2023–24
824:2022–23
819:2021–22
814:2020–21
809:2019–20
804:2018–19
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694:1954–55
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684:1925–26
254:(1986)
231:The Age
100:around
82:cyclone
65:Pilbara
51:around
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190:7 July
73:Onslow
69:Darwin
33:forest
94:Perth
267:ISBN
192:2008
128:and
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