Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
Three weeks after the Catastrophic Fire Danger Day of 9 January, there are still seven major fires across the state, three of which are still going and may burn for days or weeks.
More than 435,000 hectares of land have been burned in what has been the longest duration heatwave event Victoria has experienced since 2009.
On 9 January CFA attended almost 200 grass and scrub fires, including in support of Fire Rescue Victoria, with more than 80 strike teams dispatched to support these incidents.
Between 7 January and 27 January:
- CFA responded to more than 3,300 individual incidents
- There were more than 7,000 individual vehicle responses to these incidents, utilising over 1,800 appliances from more than 780 brigades
- CFA’s response was supported by over 400 strike teams, requiring more than 2,000 appliance deployments, made up of over 1,000 appliances from 650 brigades
- Across these incidents, there has already been in excess of 23,000 member turnouts recorded in completed fire reports (note: these are total – and many members will have turned out numerous times)
Last night, CFA hosted a special Volunteer Forum at Harcourt Station focusing on the January fires. You can view the recording here.
The forum heard from members of the Harcourt brigade including Captain Andrew Wilson and former captain Tyrone Rice, who lost his own home while he, his wife and son were defending their town.
Other guests included Ivan Gilbert from Harcourt Progress Association, local resident Michael Pilcher, one of the 2,200+ Victorians who have expressed interest in joining CFA since 1 January, as well as District Mechanical Officers Michael Zimmer and Henry Vale who helped keep CFA’s vehicles running during the extreme conditions, and ICT Program Director Shane Peacock who spoke about initiatives which are improving communications on the fireground.
Chief Officer Jason Heffernan and CEO Greg Leach AFSM also discussed some of the topical issues which have been raised in the media over recent weeks relating to CFA’s funding, the age of vehicles and volunteer numbers.
“We are experiencing one of the most intense fire seasons we have seen in years and there are still many more weeks ahead of us yet,” Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said.
“We are proud of the incredible efforts of our volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly throughout these past weeks to keep Victorians safe.
“The commitment of these people who have given up their time away from family, friends and workplaces to serve and protect others in their community or another community – often for days at a time – cannot be underestimated.
“We also acknowledge and thank Victorians for their gratitude to our members and our organisation expressed through our various channels, including on social media, and also the many ways in which they have generously supported our brigades directly in their local communities.”
A message of appreciation to all volunteers from the CFA Chair Jo Plummer, on behalf of the Board, closed out the Forum.
CFA is prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our members and encourages anyone who needs support to contact our free, 24/7 services on 1800 959 232. The Victorian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Hotline is available on 1800 560 760.
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