Responding to Wildfire
It was all hands on deck when fire was found to have entered the property on a warm, sunny Sunday morning in late April. We had been given no notifications of any fires occurring nearby and participants were starting to arrive for our free community mapping workshop!
We soon learned it had escaped overnight from a neighbouring pile burn. 000 was called as soon as we realized that topography, wind, fuel and moisture conditions were likely to convert things into a potentially serious issue if left unchecked. This was just the start of the workload ahead.
Fire candled right through this potential habitat tree, which lost its crown during the fire.
We had often wondered whether the large dam in the east of Banyula would be usable in this scenario
RFS crews began to arrive and assist, with Tony and Ken coordinating with them on the ground. Ken worked his tractor to create some fire breaks, and trucks were positioned to allow for on ground hose work. But conditions were generally pretty unhelpful and probably deteriorating, and the fire moved in on a range of fronts. So the call was made to seek aerial assistance. We were very lucky a chopper was available that day. We had often wondered whether the large dam in the east of Banyula would be usable in this scenario - as a direct water source for the helicopter bucket. Thankfully it was, and the chopper got to work making countless runs back and forth between the dam and the fire about 850 m away (check out video of the chopper in action).
The effort put into preventing further spread of the fire was phenomenal. The chopper worked until the light faded, and the ground crew well into the evening. We were so grateful to have access to such resources. A few more days of watching, dousing, chain sawing and mopping up by Banyula crew saw the fire finally stopped.
… the ground crew worked well into the evening
This has been a timely reminder that we have a legal obligation to advise our neighbours and the RFS when planning to burn something, in and out of permit season.
Coincidentally, at around the same time as this fire happened, a fascinating discussion on the legal aspects of fire escaping to neighbouring properties was aired on the Law Report on ABC Radio National).
We wish to thank the RFS volunteers who contributed their valuable time to help, and the RFS Captain who did an excellent job. Thanks also to the unseen chopper crew. We really appreciate you.
