Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
After two deployments of six days each CFA is saying thank you to Northern Territory firefighters who gave a helping hand to crews in and around the Longwood fire.
The strike teams and Incident Management Support teams from the NT swung into action as soon as they arrived, helping not only fight the fire but supporting the community who had lost so much.
On their last shift before returning home, one of the teams purchased pellets of animal food and unloaded it all from the truck for local residents to come and collect.
That night they also presented Gooram CFA members with an array of vouchers worth hundreds of dollars to go towards community members doing it tough.
Gooram Fire Brigade Captain Michael Stubbe said the kindness they showed went above and beyond.
“They were just so willing to help out,” Michael said.
“What they did went well above what they were expected to do, and the community is eternally grateful.
First Lieutenant at Gooram Fire Briagde Andrew Douglas said the crew never complained and were ready to help and assist in any role or capacity. .
“Their generosity was a fantastic light amongst all that has happened,” Andrew said.
“Amongst all the work they were doing on the fire they got out into the community and were encouraging people to donate to us.”
The fire in Longwood broke out on Friday, 9 January and has since burned more than 132,000 hectares.
The fire is now contained but has devastated communities, with homes, businesses, farms, and livelihoods all destroyed.
In total, there have been 56 personnel from the NT deployed to Victoria over the course of these fires.
They are part of more than 1,400 personnel from all Australian states and territories, as well as New Zealand and Canada who have assisted with Victoria’s bushfire response in recent weeks.
| Submitted by | CFA Media |
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