Victorian firefighters take to the sky

Updated November 7 2012 - 4:15am, first published December 20 2010 - 10:24am
UP AND AWAY: DSE and CFA staff combined for an exercise at Bendigo Airport. Picture: ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
UP AND AWAY: DSE and CFA staff combined for an exercise at Bendigo Airport. Picture: ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN

THE Department of Sustainability and Environment has warned the community to be vigilant throughout the fire season.The department and the CFA held a joint aircraft training day yesterday.DSE land and fire area manager for north-west Victoria Rob Price said there would be 40 aircraft placed across the state for the fire season, with two water bombers and a helicopter stationed at the Bendigo Airport, subject to what was happening across Victoria.He said one of the main advantages of using aircraft was that they could extinguish small fires and create retardant lines in remote terrain, allowing firefighters additional time to access a fire. “Another use is for firefighters to gain access to the fire front from the air, instead of having to walk gruelling kilometres through the bush.“This training is part of the DSE and CFA’s training program for firefighters and fire managers in preparation for the coming fire season.”Although the weather has been unusually mild for December, Mr Price said fire was still a real risk and people should not be complacent.“Despite recent rain, an above-normal fire season was expected across much of the area, as many forests are still very dry underneath from long-term record rainfall deficiency.“As a result, forests could rapidly return to a very flammable condition with the onset of warmer, drier weather.”Specialised aircraft are used for mapping the position of the fire.This information is then fed back to strategic planners and fire managers to help with deployment of resources to the fire.One of the most valuable and effective tools for fighting bushfires is the range of aircraft that can be deployed to attack a fire from above and support ground firefighting crews.These can be fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft, water, foam and retardant bombers and the well-known Erickson aircrane.

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