The Illaroo Road Bush Fire Brigade was born out the summer of 1938-39, when devastating fires known as ‘Black Saturday’ destroyed the western Shoalhaven township of Yalwal.
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The fires burnt out thousands of hectares of bush and farmland and threatened the township of Nowra.
Due to the high risk of heavily laden bushland, there was the need for a bush fire brigade in the sparsely populated area of North Nowra.
The residents responded, forming the Illaroo Road Bush Fire Brigade, with volunteers at the time arming themselves with rakes, sacks and leather beaters to fight fires in the area.
Two local women held the positions of head of the brigade, later known as captains with Mrs H 0 Cox and Mrs S D Brown the first captains from 1939 to elections in 1941.
Because of the brigade’s limited resources, the local Shire Council obtained some ex-army vehicles that were fitted out as fire tenders, forming the first critical transport section of the then known Bush Fire Service.
With these vehicles came the need for extra space and the need for an upgraded brigade shed to house them, equipment and hold meetings.
The Kvarnstrom family, who lived in the area, donated land to the brigade, with members erecting a small tin shed where the brigade is today still situated.
The Illaroo Road Bush Fire Brigade was the first brigade in the state to receive a truck through the ‘Bush Fire Fund’ run by the then Bush Fire Council.
Dick Wiffen joined the brigade in 1947 and later became the first paid Fire Control Officer for the Shoalhaven in 1965, a position he held for 24 years.
The Illaroo Road brigade became the first district headquarters.
Dick Wiffen’s wife Anne operated the VHS radio system 24 hours a day, seven-days-a-week, helping to keep in contact with fire reports and the location of all units during Shoalhaven fires.
The Shoalhaven State Emergency Service was also housed at the Illaroo Road station before a separate service was formed.
When the brigade was formed the area surrounding the station was predominantly bushland, today the area is heavily urbanised.
Fast forward 75 years and the brigade has 30 active members, willing and proud to serve their community.
The brigade now covers the area north of the Shoalhaven River to Broughton Creek through to Jaspers Brush, south of the Shoalhaven River to just north of the BTU Road through to Burner in the west - a diverse area with a mixture of heavy bushland and urban housing.
Brigade members continually train and improve their skills as firefighters.
Over the past 15 years the Illaroo Road brigade has attended a number of major fires in the Shoalhaven including section 44 emergencies at the Hyland’s Fire 2000/01; Touga Fire 2001l; North Nowra Fire 2005; Burrill Lake Fire 2006; Dingo Road Fire 2009; and Deans Gap Fire 2012.