FIRE’S FRONT LINE - Local crews helping in Victoria

On Saturday 32 volunteers in eight RFS vehicles and a bus left Nowra for Healesville and this morning another 33 rolled out to relieve those already on the fire line.

The specifics of what they were heading into were unknown. They didn’t need to know, they just wanted to get there and start helping.

While property is not currently under threat the fire danger and state of emergency is far from over.

Response team co-ordinator at the Incident Control Centre at Woori Yallock, Shoalhaven RFS member Steve McKinnon said 500,000 hectares were still burning across the state.

“It’s not all over, Saturday a week ago they had the real bad day and while they haven’t had the high winds since then, it’s been averaging 30 degrees,” Mr McKinnon said.

“It’s still a very serious situation.

“There are a number of fires going in the area as well as fires that have joined together and others that are threatening to join.”

Mr McKinnon has experience in large scale bushfires, gained during the Shoalhaven’s black Christmas of 2000-2001, and he also played a role in the Highlands fire a few years ago.

In Victoria he is co-ordinating three strike teams from NSW – one from Shoalhaven, one from Hawkesbury and one from Chifley.

“We’ve got a day crew and a night crew and one of my jobs is to make sure that all the logistical issues are arranged for the crews,” he said.

Each group in the field has a member of the Country Fire Authority or Department of Sustainability and Environment who knows the area and has communications with the Incident Control Centre. The NSW strike teams arrived on Sunday and will return on Friday.

“Monday and Monday night they were involved in mopping up operations and yesterday they were working a different part of the fire,” Mr McKinnon said.

“The briefing this morning (Tuesday) indicated they would be doing some back burning.

“This fire has obviously had a huge impact on these communities and apart from the fire fighting effort there are a lot of things happening in the background. “None of our teams have come across it yet but we’re mindful that we might be going into areas where people have been affected personally.

“The crews have come here to do a job and they appreciate that they’re dealing with people who will be dealing with loss,” he said.

Preparing to leave yesterday for Healesville, Callala Beach RFS deputy Jacqui Cox was back just a few days from fighting fires near Pambula.

She said she saw it as a privilege to help her Victorian counterparts.

“This whole thing is so emotional, and I feel a bit anxious but I just want to get in there and help to give them a break,” she said.

“They’ve done the same for us in the past, it’s just what we do.

“We don’t see it as a sacrifice, we see it as an opportunity to help,” Mrs Cox said.

Currarong RFS captain Paul Zaccagnini agreed. He had been contacted by a lot of volunteers offering assistance.

“People are jumping out of their skins to get down there and help, it’s the nature of what we do.

“It’s that old Australian thing that when someone is in need you go and help.”

Mr Zaccagnini is a commercial fisherman and café owner with his wife Pam who is also a member of the RFS.

Like many volunteers they have to juggle their work and family responsibilities with the time they dedicate to the fire service.

“We couldn’t leave the shop over Christmas but now things have quietened down we can put more time into the RFS.

Currently there are 607 NSW firefighters in Victoria, from the RFS (454), NSW Fire Brigade (56), National Parks and Wildlife Service (60), Forests NSW (37) as well as 10 ambulance officers.