Category: Public

The brigade has been called out twice recently to extinguish private burns that got out of control. In both cases they resulted from individuals trying to maintain multiple fires. Fortunately in both cases the brigade was able to stop the fires before they got into neighboring bush.

On Thursday, October 23, our new Light Tanker, and our 1.4 were called out, along with Dunsborough units and the 12.2 water tanker. The fire was quickly brought under control but it took another few hours to mop up. The new water tanker played a useful role in allowing a quick refilling turnaround, loading the Dunsborough 3.4 once, the Light Tanker twice, our 1.4 once.

The earlier fire was on the same day as the fire expo in Dunsborough and the quick exit of the trucks from the Dunsborugh parking lot gave a sense of reality to the exhibition. There was no shortage of trucks from around the Busselton region ready to help. Again, the fire was quickly extinguished. Fortunately there was little wind on the day.

 

Brigade Captain Matt Muir is asking the community to make sure anyone burning has adequate resources to control  the fire  and make allowances for a change in wind speed and direction.  This, he says, is especially important this week as after Saturday, November 2,  all fires will require a permit.

Flo, the 12.2 water tanker, made her debut earlier this month, supporting the brigade at a fire in Kalorup.

On Saturday, March 8 the brigade’s 4.4 was called out to assist  Metricup and Kalorup brigades with a pole fire on Gale Rd. The crew was Muir, Hunt, Stevens and Lawrence. The objective was to help put out and overhaul a pile of hay bales that were alight. Other appliances used were a loader, two helitacs and the 12.2 which was driven by Yardley and assisted by McDowell. It took about 8 minutes to load the tanker from a hydrant.

 
On the next day the 4.4 was again called out. This time to assist Metricup and Willyabrup brigades with a fire on Carter Rd. Metricup ( behind Cape Lavender).  According to local press reports, the Fire and Emergency Services community officer, Tim Wall, said the blaze was started by a backpacker who accidently lit a fire.  The crew was Muir, Fisher, Stevens and Jones. Other appliances included two helitacs and the DPAW ‘dozer. The 4.4’s objective was to assist in blacking out and waiting for ‘dozer to arrive to fall a old burning Redgum and put it out. There were about 30 fire fighters at the scene.

 

Did someone say a quiet fire season?  The brigade responded to two fires in 24 hours this week.  The 4.4,  with a crew of five, went to the Kangaroo Gully fire, outside Bridgetown, early Tuesday and did a 12 hour shift, mainly blacking out. A lot of the work involved steep hills alongside pine plantations.

Roughly six hours later, at 1:45 Wednesday morning, the brigade was called out to a fire  a lot closer to home,  Kangaroo Parade.  The 4.4 and 1.4 spent over two hours mainly blacking out and putting out spot fires. Andy J, Alan Y and Matty did double shifts, all day at Bridgetown and overnight in Yals.

Dunsborough and Yallingup Coastal brigades both assisted at the Kangaroo Parade fire.

Two grass fires on Sunday and Monday put an end to a new year without fires for Yallingup Rural.  Both fires were out by the time the trucks arrived but they were a good reminder how lucky the district has  been.

Sunday, around 13:15 a fire was reported opposite and up the road from Gunyulgup Gallery.  Quick work by neighbors with portable pumps put out the fire and the 1.4 was called out to assist in blacking out the area.  The fire appeared to have originated around the base of a power pole.

Monday’s fire, around 10:00, was at a farm near the southern end of North Yelverton road. Trucks from Metricup, Wilyabrup  and Kaloorup attended and by the time our 4.4 arrived the fire was out. There were also handful of workers on site installing fencing who assisted in putting out the fire. Again, the brigade assisted in blacking out.

Unlike previous Christmas/New Years holidays there were no fires in the district this year.  There was only one call out on Dec 30 and the light tanker got stood down half way to “the fire” at Brookland Valley. It turned out to be the notorious sea mist.

Brigade Captain Matty Muir said the double roster system worked well and thanked those members who signed up and perhaps had a more sober holiday.  He especially thanked Barb for her usual great work, handling the phone over the whole period.

On the evening of Dec 28, 2012, the brigade responded to two fires, including the Margaret River Dairy Company fire outside Cowarumup. On New Year’s eve 2010 there was a fire at Indijup and in the early 2000’s there were fires on Christmas day in two consecutive years at the same location!

Training recommences this Tuesday, Jan 7.

The new  12.2, 12,000 litre bulk water tanker, was christened Flo, Monday, at the brigade’s Thornton Road shed.  Stevo gave a detailed rundown of the truck’s features to most of the brigade’s members.

As Yards describes it, it is an Isuzu: 2 seater; similar to the 4.4 but longer, heavier, dual rear axles, 6 speed automatic, 7.7 litre turbo charged diesel.

The PTO pump is rated at 1800 litres p.m. and the auxiliary portable pump is a Honda – 1100 litres p.m., so filling appliances is quite quick. The vehicle is for use on the blacktop, however it does have an inter-differential lock, and cross-axle diff locks at the rear, so it may be able to get itself out of trouble if some of the wheels are on the bitumen.

There is a locker on the driver’s side containing hoses, tools, branch etc, and there is a hydraulic side lifter platform on the near side to allow the collar tank and the auxiliary pump to be lowered to ground level and re-stowed. The work platform is at the rear with storage or things like fuel, rake hoes, fire extinguishers, suction hoses, road cones etc.

The collar tank can be deployed for ground support or for helicopter re-filling. It is the red “swimming pool” in the photos. The procedure would be for the collar tank to provide a supply of water for other appliances, while the 12.2 runs shuttles to keep it filled. Water is supplied to appliances (excepting possibly helicopters) by the portable pump. Alternatively, or in conjunction, appliances could be filled directly from the 12.2

There is a (small) hatch on the tank top for overhead filling. There is a Tank to Pump valve, but no Pump to Tank as on the 4.4, so if drafting is required, the portable pump needs to be used. A 25mm delivery is on the near side for a hose for verge mopping up, but there is no Monitor.

It is a two person truck and 12 people have been trained from different Busselton brigades. It will live at Thornton Road, next to the Light Tanker.

There is some debate whether Flo refers to Flo, the Hambug Damselfish in Finding Nemo, or Flo, the 1950’s Motorama V8 showcar in Disney’s Cars, or indie band Florence and the Machine. It has been suggested its theme song should be Florence and the Machine’s What the Water Gave Me.