Arson, one from a cigarette butt, and one (i know of) that was from a power line falling from the wind.
But the conditions were hellish; 100kmh hot winds and a 48 degree day. Added to it was years of drought and thick, wild bush.
In the old days, the firefighters would conduct controlled burns of such fuel; pple were welcome to take fallen dead trees for firewood, but as the forests shrunk, they banned it all, so too much fuel. Too much.
Also, most pple had absolutely no warning. The fires were too erratic and too fast.
One fire was 25km from a home, and within 10minutes everything was gone.
Its just unbelievable and none has ever seen such fierceness.
Half of the entire state is a disaster zone, whole towns crime scenes from the corpses. Some will never be identified.
There is just no way to describe it accurately, no way. words do not depict the level of horror, destruction, terror and death that happened so quickly.
Farmers always advised never to get into water tanks when a fire comes, as the water boils. 5,500 litres of water boiled in one tank. And these young family's, face to face with fire storms jumped into their pools and spas, boiling to death.