Sky’s no limit for SW firefighters
Fire prevention efforts have taken to the skies as the safety of South West residents becomes paramount on the edge of bushfire season.
Dense vegetation and weather conditions have always put the South West at risk from fires and the most recent Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council Southern Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2014-15 indicates this season is no exception.
The South West has to second biggest fleet of Scouts and is the only place in the world where they are dedicated to fire-spotting
The report states the South West has an above normal fire potential due to reduced rainfall, a long-term deficit in soil moisture and high fuel loads.
Every year, the region’s residents are reminded again and again to prepare in case of a bushfire but there are hundreds of people working behind the scenes to help prevent such a disaster from occurring.
Local governments, the Department of Parks and Wildlife, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, State Emergency Service and volunteer fire brigades are just a handful of organisations looking out for the rest of the region’s residents.
These agencies converged in Manjimup in September for the first time in a decade to run through an aerial fire prevention training course.
The exercise involved 10 aircraft, 60 personnel from various agencies and four days of training and networking.
DPaW senior fire operations aviation officer Brad Bourke said the course involved aircraft support, water bombing, ground control and search and rescue training.
“It was a joint operation and all-encompassing,” he said.
“We were all working together because fire prevention and reacting to a bushfire is a service to the community.”
During a South West bushfire, this is the type of water bomber that will be used.
And the South West certainly has the tools to keep the region safe from bushfires, according to DPaW aviation technical advisor Mark Dixon said.
The region has six water bombers, all of which are capable of holding 3000L of water and are purpose-built for the job.
“They are the best single-engine craft currently available for its purpose,” Mark said.
For Manjimup SES volunteer Brian “Bluey” Renehan, filling the water bombers is a five-minute task.
“For the SES veterans, we’ve been in the game for so long we know our limits,” he said.
“The good news is we have a few new recruits who are eager to do the requisite training to be able to fill water bombers during an incident.”
Brian Bluey Renehan has been an SES volunteer for almost 30 years and has been helping reload water bombers since the practice was introduced in Manjimup.
Mark’s pride and joy, however, is the fleet of 10 American Champion Scouts, which he sourced from the USA specifically to serve as the region’s firespotters.
“We have the second biggest fleet of Scouts and we are the only ones in the world to use it as a dedicated fire detection fleet,” he said.
Of the 10 Scouts flying the skies in search of fires, four are based in Manjimup and the other six are spread throughout the South West.
“We have 13 pilots who fly the skies during the season keeping an eye out for a bushfire, ” Mark said.
So while DPaW, DFES, local governments, SES and volunteer fire brigades cover the skies and the ground, the region’s residents are urged to take precautions and prepare their home and property for the bushfire season.
For more information click here to go to www.areyouready.wa.gov.au.
