Christmas/New Year 2001/2002

Well, I suppose the most current newsworthy item must be the Christmas/New Year holiday break of 2001/2002 and the state wide fires. I think just about every brigade in NSW will have stories to tell and here is ours!

Starting early in December we were part of Regional Deployment teams to Picton (Wollondilly complex fires), Gosford, Gloucester, Peat's Ridge, Cessnock, Spencer and Taree. These involved our current model Isuzu Cat 1 and our Cat 7. All our members that wished to go rotated in an orderly manner to give everyone a go. Of course all through was the silent, unspoken, pressure to stay home in our own area - understandable considering local weather conditions of temperatures in the high 30's, humidity on 4 days in the middle 10's! and winds always in excess of 20 KPH. I equally commend those that stayed home to protect their own (particularly the Captain), its a hard choice at the best of times.

We had a quite Christmas then on the 1st of January 2002 all hell broke loose!

A fire had broken out at Swan Bay and was escalating. We were secure in the knowledge that with the rotation of resources we would go there at some point of time. However our own pagers went off in the early afternoon - " Bush alight, Fullerton Cove". All 3 Salt Ash units responded, plus 2 Cat 1's from Medowie and a Cat 7 from Raymond Terrace. Not long after leaving the Station we had a clear view of the smoke column and our Captain radioed to split the resources to converge from two separate areas to hopefully track it down and commence containment as quickly as possible. A containment line was soon planned and acted on as quickly as possible as time was short and fall back lines were fairly distant. However the wildfire broke out ( only just!) and the fall back plan was put into operation. This required work through the night with other resources being pulled in plus a local sand mine's swamp dozer. Next day the Salt Ash units returned ( they had not worked all night) but unfortunately a dozed fire break did not hold back some of the highest flames in anyone's memory. The Salt Ash units spent the whole day slowly putting in a burn to contain the fire to a natural break in the sand dunes. An extremely exacting task in this type of fire weather, but property needed protection as soon as possible. A mammoth task for just one Brigade but things were not good at Swan Bay and other resources were tied up. The Brigade should be proud of their diligent work as this containment was successful and ceased the fires eastern movement.

But, always a but, unfortunately a wind change during the day had taken the last of the wild fire at the western end and crowned back through burnt ground and escaped. It was monitored by a light tanker for an hour until a predicted change from the west slowed its progress enough to be dealt with that night. Night plans were drawn and with the assistance of a NPWS task force new western containment lines were put in place.

January the 3rd 2002, Salt Ash 5, Salt Ash 7 and Raymond Terrace 9 returned to the fire ground to complete mopping up and spend the day on patrol. The two light tankers worked on the inner sand tracks and the heavy tanker remained on the motorway. Sometime after midday Salt Ash 5 reported the unimaginable, a new fire outside of our containment lines and escalating quickly!

The Cat 5 held ground on the motorway but the fire powered over the road and went. It appeared that it would skirt a near by residential street and leave the forest and proceed into pastures ( smoky fires but a better option then homes). A predicted wind change of 90 degrees chose that moment to occur and tuned a flank into a head putting the 3 units into property protection mode. Three RFS Cat 1's and a NSWFB task force from Newcastle were mobile. The most threatened home had Salt Ash 7 to protect it, the closest tanker, and a valiant effort by the crew saved the home. To see it afterwards reminded me of a chess board, a white castle sitting in the middle of a black square. All units were on site now and the fire was successfully guided around the other properties.

Another night of placing in new containment lines.

Another day of full patrol with 2 heavy tankers, Salt Ash 1 & 5. A late night patrol by Salt Ash 7.

Three patrols the next day by Salt Ash 7, plus one evening patrol.

Two patrols on the final day and the declaration that the fire was out.

Swan Bay/Karuah fire at patrol status.

Seven days in total! Losses to property - shed door frame, wheelie bin and the inevitable fence posts plus the bush! Ignition - being investigated.

Thanks to all our district Brigades that attended, the NPWS task force, NSWFB task force and the local residents. The property owners were calm and collected, most of the properties were in a good state of preparedness, voluntary evacuation of children and pets was orderly and the property owners assisted in the defence of their homes. Special thanks to the two bulk water carriers who turned up on their own instincts, in a rural area without reticulated water they were invaluable in the heady first ten or fifteen minutes. Special thanks to the community for the constant supply of sangers, cakes and sticky date puddings for our welfare.