Melbourne, Australia (February 6, 1851) (submitted by Anonymous; added on 8/20/2000)
On February 6, 1851, temperatures exceed 117慚 in Melbourne, Australia. Western Victoria had scorched under weeks of hot sun, its vegetation dry and ideal as tinder. By afternoon on "Black Thursday," almost the entire state was on fire. Flames swept across the grass faster than galloping horses, flying along treetops and crashing through tangled undergrowth. In 1951-52, more fires broke out in New South Wales, burning over 6 million acres of bush. So heat generated by these fires were so great that steel structures and machinery were twisted as easily as fine wire.

Montana, USA (August 6, 2000) (submitted by Veronica; added on 9/23/2000)
I am a wildland firefighter/ Medical Unit Leader for the Massachusetts Wildfire Crew. In July-August of this year I was in Sula, Montana during the wildfires there. My job on this trip was to run the medical unit. A firefighter at heart (and a career firefighter when at home) I missed being on the fireline working with the others. Staying in camp didn't seem as much fun, until Black Sunday, August 6, 2000. That day there was an unusual weather occurance which caused the wildfires to become erratic, unpredictable and uncontrollable. If I couldn't be on the fireline, well, the fireline came to me. Our main camp burned over. There were no injuries (thankfully), but we lost several personal tents as well as our camp food tent. Having been a firefighter for several years I have had the opportunity to experience several types of fire behavior. That is a day I will remember for the rest of my life.