Long Bushfire Trip Report

[Uncle Chop Chop]

Well hello folks. I am again back in familiar territory and thought that I would entertain you with a Trip Report about my time up at the Bush Fires in teh North East of Victoria.

 

Day 1

 

Thursday the 6th of December, 2006

 

Hamilton-Portland-Wangaratta

 

I arrived down at the Merino Fire shed where I was to get a ride to Hamilton Airport. With 4 of us hopping into the car it was always going to be a squishy ride. After 30 minutes or so of the ride we arrived at the Hamilton Airport to find our aircraft. After giving the pilots our names we put our luggage on the Plane a boarded.

 

The engine where then started and after a short taxi we thundered down the Rwy and took off and headed for Portland Airport where we picked up 4 other members of our Strike Team.

 

After a 20 minute stop on the ground the Plane again thundered down the Rwy and headed for Albury. We had to head to Albury because Wangeratta was Smoked out. On our way we flew over the Fire Zone. I got a good shot of 1 of the Smoke clouds coming from the ground.

 

On our descent into Albury it was so smokey that we couldn't even land there so we headed to Wangeratta which was clean of smoke.

 

On landing I was surprised to find an old Cropduster (VH-SAP) sitting on the Tarmac out the front of the Terminal.

 

We quickly made our way through the Terminal and out to the front where a Bus was waiting for us. We then proceeded on a 67km or so Bus Ride to the Staging area at Whitfield.

 

While at the Staging area many TV and Media Personalities where there doing interviews and also doing new reports for News and Current Affair shows.

 

We then found out that where we were going to stay in a little town called Chestnut South was under threat and we weren’t allowed to go there. After 4 hours of trying to find somewhere else to stay we then learned that we could go to our Cabins in Chestnut South where we would stay for the next 3 nights. At about 3pm the whole town and surrounding areas got smothered in Smoke. It got so thick that it was hard to see 100 meters in front of you.

 

After a short bus ride we entered the Campsite and chose our Cabins. After making the bed we sat down and had a few drinks. At about 9.30 we then settled into bed.

 

Day 2

 

Friday the 7th of December, 2006

 

We all arose at 6am to a very Smoky Chestnut South. After having a shower I popped my Gear on and headed for the bus to go to the Staging Area in Whitfield. Due to the fact that Chestnut South was in the line of the Fire we had to take our Clothes and everything else with us. We left it in a locked room in the Staging Area.

 

When we got to the Staging Area we where surprised to find that our equipment we where to use wasn't at the Staging area and was in fact in Wangaratta which was about 60km away. Our equipment consisted of 2 Tankers and 3 Slips On. For those that don't know what a Slip On is, it is a 4 Wheel Drive Ute with a 400 litre Tank of Water, a Pump, a Hose and various hand held fire fighting equipment.

 

After some talk we decided that the bus would take the 5 Drivers to Wangeratta where they would pick up the Tankers and Slip Ons. The other people there had nothing to do but sit and wait. A few Media people where there so we took the oppertunity to do some Interviews. The Tankers and Slip Ons then arrived and we jumped on and headed out for our area that we where patroling and helping with.

 

Our Taskforce was called Taskforce 504. We where working in the King Valley Sector where we were helping the DSE backburn an area that was next to the Whitfield-Mansfield Rd. While the Back burning was taking place the Media turned up who wanted to do Interviews and take pictures of us. After an hour of being in the Limelight the Media left and we got on with our job. Unfortunately I didn't take my Camera with me as I was told we would be doing a lot of work and wouldn't have time to take any photos. That was a lie as we where just sitting in the trucks watching the fire burn.

 

A scary situation arose half way through the day when some backburning got close to Powerlines. For those that don’t know, Smoke carries Electricity because of the Carbon in it. There where 3 different power lines. The 1st 1 conducted 100,000 Volts. The 2nd 1 conducted just under 200,000 Volts but the 1 that everyone was worried about was the 3rd 1. It conducted 400,000 Volts and carried Electricity for South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and also Queensland. The problem was that we couldn’t turn all of the power lines off at the same time. Apparently the Grid wouldn’t be able to cope with all 3 lines being put off so the Electricity People who where in attendance made us aware that the 1st 2 where turned off but the 3rd and most Dangerous 1 of all was still on. The Back Burning Continued and after it passed the 2nd set of lines the power was turned on and the other 1 was turned off. It went without incident. After that we where just driving around making sure that the fire had not jumped containment lines.

 

After a full 12 hour day we then headed back for the Stageing Area where we had tea. We then headed back to Chestnut South where our Cabin was safe to enter. We stopped off at the Pub to grab a few drinks and then headed to the Cabins. After a few drinks it was time to head off to bed.

 

Day 3

 

Saturday the 8th of December, 2006

 

This day was forecasted to be very hot with 39 Degrees Weather and strong Northerly Winds. It was a perfect day for the fire to burn out of control. But would you believe the thick cloud of Smoke was so thick that it prevented the Temperature from getting over 26 Degrees. I rang my Mum and she said that it was 47 Degrees under the Shade.

 

The final day on the Fire Field. It started like yesterday. This time we had the Trucks and Slip Ons and proceeded to the Fire Ground where I was in charge of the Radio in my Slip On. The Drivers name was Ian. He lives in Merino as well. We where patrolling the area where the Dozers where ploughing a break for Back Burning. After a few hours it was time to take a few Pictures, well a lot actually. Then after the Track was ploughed it was time for us to head back to the Staging Area where another crew took over from us.

 

Tea was served. It was good. They served us some hot packs. The food was ok but it wasn’t anything like a big juicy Rump Steak or a Burger from Maccas. It consisted of Corn, Mashed Pumpkin and Sausages in Gravy. It was nice. It was then time to have a bit of a celebration as we had finished our 2 days of Duty.

 

On our way back to Cheshunt South we stopped in the Pub and got a few drinks. All of the boys where exhausted. The 2 men in charge of our Taskforce had to stay behind because they where trying to organise how we could get back home. The CFA thought that we had arrived on the Friday and where going home on the Monday but we had arrived on the Thursday and going home on the Sunday. So after some heated exchanges we where told that the CFA would sort it out and we would know the next day.

 

Day 4

 

Sunday the 9th of December

 

We woke up at 6.30 and left at 7.30. We wanted to know how we where getting back home. All of the local Airports where smoked out and it was too dangerous to even try to Takeoff so it was decided that we would catch a small bus into Wangaratta where we got on a coach and headed back for Western Victoria. After stopping at Maccas for Breakfast we headed home on a 900km Trip. The route we where taking was Wangaratta to Bendigo to Maryborough to Ararat to Hamilton to Casterton to Merino. We stopped in Ararat for Lunch which was paid for by the CFA. After a 1 hour stop we then boarded up and headed off once again. 2 hours later we reached the Hamilton Airport where we dropped off a few people who had left their cars there 4 days prior. After a short stop and a few good byes we headed for Casterton on a 1 hour trip where we again dropped a few people off. 30 minutes later I arrived back home in Merino. It felt good to be home. After we said goodbye to everyone else who was left, the coach slowly pulled away and headed for its next stop in Heywood where it would drop off it’s remaining passengers.

 

After this trip it made me aware of what a big and great job the CFA do in a situation like this. I received a phone call this afternoon where I learned that I would be going on a 2 Day Quick Hit Deployment to Gippsland next Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

 

[Guest VH-TJT]

After this trip it made me aware of what a big and great job the CFA do in a situation like this.

It is unselfish people like yourself who give up their time to volunteer that makes the CFA so great.

 

TJT

 

 

[Guest Glenn]

At the beginning you left out some important information.

 

What type of plane was it?

 

 

[Uncle Chop Chop]

At the beginning you left out some important information.What type of plane was it?

Sorry Mate. I was going to post a picture but Imageshak was playing up on my Computer. It was a Metro 23 with the Rego VH-HAN.