Author: Bob the Builder

It may not be fully known that the various fire brigades around the country all pitch in when a call to arms is sent out. During June, in what is mainly an off-season period for us here in the southwest, Yallingup Rural BFB contributed the services of long-serving member Alan Yardley to fire mitigation work in the Kimberley.

Yallingup Rural was one of several brigades involved, including Margaret River, Bunbury, Witchcliffe, Wallcliffe, Balingup, and Gelorup. Alan is one of our most experienced fireys and was allocated to various duties, including driving one of the two heavy tankers that were deployed in the week-long exercise. All the team shared and rotated the roles of driving, crew leading and lighting up.

Below, clockwise from top left: Fitzroy Crossing SES buildings; 5 ha burn area at Derby; Fuel reduction; Heavy and light Tankers at Derby Foreshore burn; Wildlife in the air; Hot work.

One of the most important contributions a local Fire Brigade can make is the speed of response. When a fire starts, one of the main factors preventing it from becoming what could be an uncontrollable and damaging inferno is being able to get to the source and contain it quickly.

Nowhere is that more important than in the bush, where navigation can be challenging.
Thanks to the tenacity of brigade member Alan Yardley in obtaining the valued support of Dunsborough Lions Club and Western Power, Yalling Rural has taken delivery of five new Samsung GPS tablets and mounts to replace the existing devices in our trucks. When mounted in our trucks, the new units embody essential improvements to hardware, software, and ease of operation.

A huge vote of appreciation is due to Dunsborough Lions Club and Western Power.

On the afternoon of Tuesday 28^th March , the Brigade were called out to two separate fires on Sheoak Dve and Wildwood Rd. 

Both fires took reasonable time to control due to the dry vegetation. Most firefighters working late into the night and ” mopping up” the next morning. 

Captain / FCO ,Matt Muir, said that ” due to no significant rain fall in the area the bush vegetation is still very dry allowing the fires to escape and run away quickly. Residents need to be cautious when conducting hot work activities over this period of time”  

Peccavi Estate, Wildwood Road

Sheoak Drive

On Tuesday 14^th Feb the brigade was called out to a fire on Wyadup Rd just before lunch time. The fire started on the verge of the road and was attended by Yallingup Rural with support from Yallingup Coastal BFB. 

Brigade Captain Matt Muir said ” Even though the fire was contained and controlled quickly, the very busy , Wyadup Rd had to be closed for an hour and a half to the general public to ensure the safety of the fire crews working on the road.  I cant praise the fire crews enough with their timely response considering we also had traffic hazards with road works being conducted on Caves Rd.” 

The fire has burnt thousands of hectares of forest, farmland and plantations. It took a combined effort from Volunteer Fire Brigades across the South West and beyond, DBCA, DFES and Local Governments to finally bring the blaze under control. 

The challenging conditions meant firefighters were very busy containing and controlling the fire, protecting properties and stopping the spread. In addition, Brigade Captain / FCO Matt Muir had his hands full with the role of Taskforce Leader / Sector Commander for two consecutive days.

Matt said, “It was an amazing effort and teamwork by all the volunteers in the South West to get the job done as safely as possible. Many of the firefighters travelled every day from a distance to assist.” 

Thursday, 5th January 2023, the team from Yalling Rural attended the Thomson Brook Fire, SE of Donnybrook, as part of a combined Capes Task Force with appliances from Busselton / AMR. The task was to build containment lines which was a challenge due to steep terrain, 35+ temperatures and strong NE winds.
The Yallingup Rural crew was tasked to defend farm assets affected by uncontrolled ” hop overs” and spot fires with support from local BFS crews.

The fire was at Emergency Level at the start of the day and then was downgraded to Watch and Act, setting it up for local crews to consolidate and make the area safe.
Captain Matt said that, considering the long hours on the fire ground and the working conditions, the crews did an incredible job of containing the fire.