4.1K views · 84 reactions | Today marks 40 years since the tragic Ash Wednesday bushfires tore through Victoria and South Australia, one of the nation's worst blazes to date. #9Today | WATCH LIVE 5.30am | TODAY | Facebook

FLASHBACK: It is 40 years ago that South Australia was ravaged by the Ash Wednesday bushfires. 28 lives were lost and more than 300 homes were destroyed. One of the most remarkable broadcasts in the state's history aired in which the reporter feared for his own life. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | 7news.link/Flashback #7NEWS | 7NEWS Adelaide

Today we remember the 75 lives that were lost during the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983. On February 16, 1983, more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km/h caused widespread destruction across Victoria and South Australia. Over 3,700 buildings were destroyed or damaged and 2,545 individuals and families lost their homes. A total of 4,540 insurance claims were paid totalling A$176 million with a total estimated cost of well over $400 million (1983 values). The emergency saw the largest

40 years ago today, 28 people in South Australia lost their lives in the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires. Report in 7NEWS Adelaide at 4pm and 6pm | www.7NEWS.com.au #7NEWS | 7NEWS Adelaide

1.5K views · 14 reactions | Today's conditions are eerily similar to those exactly 40 years ago when South Australia's deadliest bushfires claimed 28 lives. Since then, many lessons have been learned; Ash Wednesday changed the CFS, making firefighting units safer and more effective. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | www.7NEWS.com.au #7NEWS | 7NEWS Adelaide | Facebook