Fire and Rescue NSW crews heading home from Victorian bushfire zones - VIDEO - Raglan, Victoria
Published: 01 Mar 2024 02:33pm
Senior Victorian firefighting officials have thanked NSW crews for their assistance, dealing with that state’s challenging bushfire crisis this week.
The Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Strike Team of five crews, from Windsor, Picton, the Central Coast, Albury and Wagga Wagga, are heading home today after providing valuable assistance to their Victorian counterparts.
The FRNSW crews and four NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Strike Teams were assigned to a variety of ‘jobs’ by Victoria’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) during the catastrophically hot weather conditions this week.
Dispatched from the CFA’s Great Western Base Camp and Staging Area at Beaufort, the FRNSW Strike Team was tasked with extinguishing bushfire hot spots, removing fallen trees across access roads and driveways; identifying compromised trees that could fall; assisting farmers with potential fire risks; and cooling stocks of hay around the township of Raglan, west of Ballarat.
Central to the crews’ success was the deployment of the Kariong Fire Station’s Bulk Water Carrier, which allowed the four tankers to travel back and forth from properties to refill locally from the mobile 9,000 litre supply.
Strike Team Leader, Inspector Frank Finlay, said the new light tankers from Windsor and Picton particularly proved their worth.
“The CFA specifically asked us to bring the light Bushfire Tankers along,” Inspector Finlay added, “They easily traversed the hilly terrain where heavier appliances would have struggled.”
The FRNSW crews have been farewelled by CFA Deputy Chief Officer, Brett Boatman, who expressed the gratitude of the Victorian public.
“Sometimes you’ve got to know when to put your hand up and ask for help, Deputy Chief Officer Boatman said.
“We’re really grateful for the help from the NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW coming down here.
“We looked at Wednesday’s forecast and we had some real concerns about where it was going to end up.
“We wish all the crews a safe return home.”
Media note – FRNSW footage of the Victorian deployment is available here: https://vimeo.com/918155342/f796d15608?share=copy [external link]
Updated: 01 Mar 2024 02:38pm
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