Perth firefighters were kept busy today with a number of bushfires and a structure fire starting during the afternoon.
This bushfire started near Brentwood Rd Kenwick. It burned fiercely and crossed the nearby major roads of Tonkin Highway and Welshpool Rd, which were both closed during the height of the fire. An Emergency Warning was issued for the fire with properties under threat.
WA’s Helitacks, provided to DFES by McDermott Aviation worked hard to protect properties and assist firefighters on the ground to contain the fire.
Photographed below and in this gallery are Helitacks 672, 673, 674 and 676. Also attacking the fire was Helitack 739, the Erickson Air-Crane known as “Georgia Peach”. A firebird being used as air attack platform, as well as the Air Intel aircraft were also on scene.
NSW Rural Fire Service firefighters last weekend around Sydney put a big effort into hazard reduction burning with forecast rain ahead looking to close the window for these burns in the foreseeable future. There is a fine balance of weather that allows the fuel to be dry enough to burn cleanly, without temperatures and winds being too high to maintain adequate control.
In the Warringah district in Sydney’s north, a number of large scale burns took place with assistance of strike teams from around Sydney and helicopters assisting with observation, fire ignition and water bombing. On Sunday, the Warringah Catering Brigade provided over 300 meals to crews for breakfast and again for lunch. Local SES members were utilised in a logistics role to assist delivery of meals and other supplies as required. Firefighters from National Parks and Wildlife, as well as Fire & Rescue NSW also attended the various burns.
I attended a burn in the vicinity of Matthews St, Davidson where local crews were assisted by a strike team from the Macarthur Zone which included tankers and crews from Narellan, Hoxton Park, Catherine Field, Lynwood Park and Minto Heights. They were later also assisted by 3 stations from FRNSW and a helicopter as needed which also worked other burns in the District. This burn was a very strategic burn providing a buffer between a large area of National Park and the edge of the suburb, which included many houses backing directly onto bushland.
Crews faced some tough conditions with local winds causing them to work in heavy smoke conditions and hampering planned lighting patterns.
Ground crews were assisted from the air, with the NSW RFS owned ‘Firebird 200’ conducting observation runs to keep the Incident Management Team informed of progress and conditions. They also conducting aerial ignition, deploying small incendiary devices to areas of the fire difficult or unsafe to access on foot to assist with progression of the burn.
Sector Commander and Safety Officer liaising during ignition of the burn.
While this burn in Davidson was occurring, the local district was also conducting other burns in Elvina Bay/West Head, Allambie Heights, Manly Vale and Ingleside. Several additional aircraft operating across these burns resulted in the establishment of a local airbase for refuelling and staging of the aircraft.
Terrey Hills Pumper provides fire protection during refuelling of Helitack 273
Firebird 249 returns to airbase
Helitack 272 departs for water bombing at Elvina Bay
Coal and Candle 1B patrols the fire edge at Elvina Bay while water bombing occurs in the distance
A full gallery with many more photos is available here: Photo Gallery
Fire & Rescue NSW firefighters have rescued 2 people from the balcony of a unit complex where a fire broke out this morning. The 2 story brick & tile construction unit complex is in Homebush, in Sydney’s west.
Firefighters received reports that people were missing in the fire. On arrival they found two people with severe injuries. Injuries are believed to include burns and smoke inhalation.
Fire has caused extensive damage to the unit of origin, as well as affecting adjoining units.
To many firefighters in NSW, the past week has flown by in a blur. It has been an extreme start to the bushfire season and so many have done what seems so ordinary to them, but extraordinary to others. They’ve put aside their own lives to go and help others in need and often from some distance away.
With large fires, it’s not uncommon for this assistance to come from interstate. Quite often we see specialists including Incident Management Team members flown in from other states. It’s also fairly common for bush fire brigade volunteers to send firefighters and tankers to assist at these large fires.
This week though, we saw something a lot less common. Melbourne’s MFB sent a number of pumpers to Sydney, and they weren’t tasked to the actual bushfire incident. Instead, they were sent to a number of City fire stations to standby and respond to run of the mill calls, allowing Fire & Rescue NSW to utilise their urban crews and appliances in the bushfire efforts.
As I understand it, 10 MFB Pumpers were sent to Sydney. Their crew of 4 on each pumper were split into a day and night shift. FRNSW joined them to create a crew of 2 MFB and 2 FRNSW firefighters on each shift. They responded to all calls as normal and these are reported to include at least one structure fire.
I managed to catch a few of these around shift change, as the FRNSW appliances were returning to station. The MFB crews should be heading home today, as the intensity of the bushfire crisis eases.
Fire has burnt out scrub and bushland on Barrenjoey Headland in Sydney’s north, known for its use in the television drama series ‘Home and Away’. 2 buildings at the Barrenjoey lighthouse complex sustained damage but no other property damage or injuries were reported.
Around 2pm on Saturday 28th September, fire crews from NSW Fire & Rescue and NSW Rural Fire Service were responded to reports of a bushfire below the lighthouse. Images posted on social media showed a small but fierce fire burning with a strong easterly wind blowing. The fire grew rapidly and arriving firefighters were immediately concerned with the safety of bush walkers and fisherman in the area. An Emergency Warning was issued for the fire.
Some 80 firefighters were dispatched with boats and helicopters involved in the incident. Boats were immediately tasked with checking on people who may have been stuck on rocks around the headland, with a small number being taken to safety. Helicopters undertook water bombing operations on the fire. With only a small walking trail and narrow vehicle track to the top, firefighters travelled on foot and utilised an ATV from the Surf Lifesaving club to move equipment to the top of the hill where the lighthouse and associated buildings were under threat.
Firefighters who had reached the buildings called for immediate assistance, with smoke coming from a building’s roof. Firefighters in breathing apparatus worked their way into the roofspace where roofing beams had caught fire. Embers had travelled in through very small gaps between flashing and roof sheets, igniting the roof beams. Fortunately firefighters were able to limit the spread of fire, though repairs will be needed.
Also at the lighthouse buildings, a number of visitors to the headland had gathered for safety. NSW Rural Fire Service sent emergency alert messages to mobile telephones in the area instructing anyone on the headland to seek refuge there, with paths back to the car park too dangerous to travel on. Those gathered were later transported to safety below. By around 4pm, the Emergency Warning advice had been downgraded to ‘Watch and Act’.
After a tense afternoon, crews who were involved in the initial firefight were replaced by incoming night crews. The main concern became a number of buildings at the northern end of the western beach. The fire was continuing to travel above these buildings having already burned the entire eastern headland. Firefighters ensured safe lines were established around these buildings and monitored the fire, allowing it to burn to control lines. Meanwhile a crew was tasked with monitoring the lighthouse and associated buildings overnight, with embers still being of concern.
Firefighters who’d been in attendance overnight were welcomed to the new day with a glorious sunrise, revealing the extent of bushland burned and able to assess the scene completely. A National Parks helicopter was brought in to assess the scene from above. Fire Investigators assessed the scene, but unable to find a definitive cause the NSW RFS stated the fire was suspicious. On Sunday the fire was further downgraded to ‘Advice’ level and the scene was later handed back to National Parks & Wildlife staff.
More photos from overnight at the fire, and sunrise from Barrenjoey head are HERE
Shortly after 5.30pm a young woman driving a Honda Sedan impacted a parked car and rolled her vehicle in Stanmore. The car landed on the roof and the driver was able to extricate herself from the vehicle.
Police from Newtown LAC attended the scene and closed a section of Trafalgar Street in both directions for approximately an hour. NSW Ambulance attended and treated the driver for minor injuries before transporting her to hospital. A pumper from NSW Fire & Rescue’s Leichhardt station attended the scene to ensure fire safety and help remove debris.
A number of parked cars were damaged with one being impacted from the rear before being forced into a second vehicle.
NSW Police took a statement from another motorist and are expected to speak with the driver further at a later stage.
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