1980 Ash Wednesday bushfires

{{Short description|Series of bushfires in Australia}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox wildfire

| title = Ash Wednesday I

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| location = Adelaide Hills, South Australia

| coordinates = {{coord|-34.91|138.71|display=title,inline|region:AU_type:city}}

| reference =

| cost = $34,000,000

| date = {{start date|1980|2|20|df=yes}}

| time =

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| area = {{convert|3770|ha|mi2|abbr=on}}

| cause = Faulty power lines, arson, and negligence after years of extreme drought

| landuse =

| buildings = {{ubl|51 homes|25 outbuildings|75 farms damaged}}

| injuries = {{ubl|40 civilians}}

| fatalities =

| pushpin_map = Australia South Australia

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}}

The first Ash Wednesday fires were a series of bushfires that began in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, on Ash Wednesday, 20 February 1980.{{cite web|url=http://www.atlas.sa.gov.au/go/resources/atlas-of-south-australia-1986/environment-resources/natural-hazards |title=Natural Hazards |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211162758/http://www.atlas.sa.gov.au/go/resources/atlas-of-south-australia-1986/environment-resources/natural-hazards |archivedate=11 February 2009 |df=dmy }} 51 homes and 25 other buildings were destroyed, including the Anglican Christ Church, Longwood,{{Cite web|title=Mount Barker Parish {{!}} Diocese of The Murray|url=https://murray.anglican.org/parishes/mount-barker-parish|access-date=2021-02-08|website=murray.anglican.org|archive-date=8 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208121033/https://murray.anglican.org/parishes/mount-barker-parish|url-status=dead}} and 75 farms were affected. 40 people were injured, with 150 left homeless. The fire burnt an area of {{convert|3770|ha|mi2|abbr=on}},{{cite web|url=http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/education/schooleducation/bushfire_history.jsp |title=CFS :: Bushfire History |accessdate=2010-08-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829053559/http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/education/schooleducation/bushfire_history.jsp |archivedate=29 August 2010 }} and caused an estimated $34,000,000 damage.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/9d804be3fb07ff5cca256d1100189e22/4b698fde4f114d57ca256d3300057bcc?OpenDocument |title=Adelaide Hills, SA: Bushfires |access-date=30 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918193547/http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/9d804be3fb07ff5cca256d1100189e22/4b698fde4f114d57ca256d3300057bcc?OpenDocument |archive-date=18 September 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

In 1983, after the Ash Wednesday fires in February that year, the 1980 fire became known in South Australia as the "first" Ash Wednesday, or Ash Wednesday I.