Author: Tony

It was decided Tuesday afternoon the Yallingup Rural crew wouldn’t be needed later that night and it was stood down. 

The brigade is returning to Harvey Tuesday night as it sends a crew up to work the Dunsborough 4.4.  Andy, Carlo, Emma, Matty and Steveo will be leaving at 1800.

By Tuesday morning the fire, which started Sunday, had burnt over 1,120hectares. Overnight around 150 firefighters worked to contain the fire but according to ABC radio Tuesday morning it broke containment lines.

A month ago the brigade was working within a few kilometres of where they are expected to be tonight.

A lightning strike interrupted training Tuesday bringing out both the 4.4 and the 1.4.

A tree on Abbey Farm Rd was struck by lightning Tuesday evening. Fortunately most of the brigade was at training down the road and a fast response extinguished the fire quickly.

The 4.4 consisted of Douglas, Mike, Todd and Tony while Andy, Bruce, Mark and Pete were in the 1.4. Fish was running the show.

The brigade was called to a paddock fire behind Summo’s Ice Cream Friday.

The fire was on a horse agistment property and was contained by the time the 4.4 arrived but it took hours to black out as it was burning and smoldering in peat and manure.

Bevan, Bruce, Carlo,  Fish and Tony were in the 4.4 and Mark P and Stando where in the LT. David  was in attendance. They departed at 11:30 and were back after 4. Dunsborough brigades and Yallingup Coastal where also at the fire with one Dunsborough crew spotted with ice cream cones.

Fortunately there was no sea breeze, which helped the crews in controlling the fire.

 

Over the last week the brigade firefighters got the publicity, but they have been getting a lot of support behind the scenes.

Barb Stevens was on duty 24 hours a day for five days (actually all summer) coordinating volunteers and putting together shifts for the fire. She is the interface between the managers coordinating the fire response and the volunteers. Along with sending out fire alerts she negotiates schedules and coordinates transport with the vollies. She is definitely in the wrong career-she would make an amazing travel agent. She could sell holidays in Marble Bar in summer!

Annie Palmer spent 4 days at Leschenault Leisure Centre as a Community Liaison Officer with over 1,000 evacuees. Her work included helping organize community meetings and providing fire information to evacuees, working closely with Media Liaison and the public. She worked directly with the evacuees to try to maker their life easier. She also travelled with those residents who returned to Yarloop to discover the fate of their properties. For more info on  the Community Liaison Unit (CLU) click here.

The Captain would also like to thank the ” Welcome Home” teams which greeted the tired and weary crews every night. Special mention to Barb Stevens, Shahan Ayres and Chris Ayres who were there every night regardless of how late.  It was good for morale, support and comradeship which made an even stronger bond to an already strong Brigade family.

 

 

A power pole fire started a fire in the bush west of Caves Road Tuesday.

The fire, on Woodlands Road, Wilyabrup was quickly extinguished. A quick response stopped it escaping into heavy bush

The 4.4 responded with Alan,  Andy, Douglas, Kev and Mitch followed by the 1.4 with Fish, Mark P and Tony and Duncan and Pete in the LT.

Wilyabrup, Metricup and Cowaramup FRS were also in attendance. David was in control.

It was the first day in five no one from the brigade was at the Harvey fire.