My Account
Mahurangi volunteer firefighters have worked through the night and scrambled up ridges on their hands and knees for more than half a kilometre in a desperate bid to contain bushfires ravishing Australia.
Kawau Island chief fire officer Gavin Brunton and Puhoi firefighters Mike Donovan and Rob Beardmore were among the most recently deployed firefighters who returned to NZ last month, but fully expect to be called up again should hot weather and wind exacerbate fires that continue to blaze.
Mr Brunton worked through the night all over northern New South Wales to contain fires saying they were so big that it was not practical to put them out entirely. Instead, firefighters worked to steer fires away from public areas and dwellings. Much of the work involved backburning, sometimes creating firebreaks 1000m wide to hold back the flames.
“There were numerous times when if we had not turned up that night a house would have been lost,” he says.
At other times, firefighters had to allow a house surrounded by bush to succumb to the flames for tactical reasons in the hope that by concentrating manpower and resources where they could be most effective they had better hope of preserving three others.
Mr Brunton said firefighters had to be constantly on guard in case the wind picked up and drove flames towards them.
“The flames can jump and run so fast you would not even be able to drive away quick enough to escape them,” he says.
But he said a bigger risk than being burned alive was from falling dead trees whose roots had been destroyed by fire.
“We had trees falling all around us on a daily and sometimes almost on an hourly basis,” he says.
Mr Donovan said steep country proved to be some of the toughest challenges for firefighters to stamp out smaller, isolated fires.
“We were climbing 600 metres up ridges on our hands and knees. But if you don’t get up there and put out those hotspots then the fire keeps spreading,” he said.
A special moment was defending a farmhouse in Queensland, which was being approached by fire on three sides.
Luckily, a New Zealand fire crew, including Mr Donovan, was in the area, equipped with two fire trucks and 5000 litres of water. The crew had about an hour to remove combustible material from around the house then blast away with hoses to drive back the flames as they approached. The farmer later emailed the Kiwi firefighters.
“Words cannot really express our thanks to your wonderful achievement in saving our farm house, especially since conditions proved to be very hazardous … your efforts will remain in my memory bank forever,” he wrote.
Even following deployments in November and December, Mr Donovan said he was ready to return to Australia to continue to fight fires if called.
“There’s a brotherhood among firefighters and our Australian brothers and sisters are really struggling at the moment,” he says.
“I guess a lot of people refer to it as the Anzac spirit. It’s alive and well, and it’s overwhelming the treatment we get when we are over there.”
Meanwhile, organisers of Mahurangi Bushfire Aid spearheaded by Warkworth Lions have been similarly overwhelmed as donations have poured in to support bushfire relief efforts.
So far, more than $16,000 has been raised through a variety of means, including setting up a Givealittle page, passing around collection buckets at concerts and farmers’ markets, sponsorship of boundaries scored at local cricket matches and a decision by Warkworth businesses to donate one per cent of a Friday’s takings to the cause.
Upcoming fundraising events include a Family Fun Day at The Red House restaurant in Warkworth on Waitangi Day, an Ambrose Golf tournament at Warkworth Golf Club on February 7, and a garage sale on February 9, at 28 Jones Rd, Omaha, from 10am-2pm. Anyone wishing to contribute items for the sale should text Anna Hanley on 021 0518146.
Fire ban spreads
A total fire ban was declared in Auckland and Northland, including the Kaipara District, last month. Principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor says all fire permits have been cancelled. This means lighting of any fires outside is prohibited. He says hangi are still permitted, but people should consult Fire and Emergency New Zealand beforehand on 09 407 6817. Residents are encouraged to keep gutters clear of dead leaves and move flammable materials such as mulch or leaves away from houses. “It only takes a spark from a piece of equipment, such as a lawnmower, to start a devastating wildfire.”
