Ash Wednesday: the Effects of a Fire

The psychological effects of bushfires that devastated areas of South Australia on Ash Wednesday 1983 are described. We emphasise the need to assess the various components of a disaster to understand its immediate and long-term impact. In the inventory phase, much of the symptomatic disturbance is different from that seen in psychiatric clinic populations and is best dealt with in the early stages using a consultation model. Providing information about the nature of these reactions is helpful for those affected and for service personnel managing disaster relief. In the reconstruction phase, it is important for relief agencies to be aware of the ways in which grief and psychological morbidity can interfere with people's ability to make decisions and carry out practical tasks.