Local firefighters have undertaken arduous work in hilly and rough country trying to control multiple fires that threaten heritage wilderness in Tasmania.
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Remote area specialist firefighters Peter Reynolds and Steven Irving from Pambula, Nicole Cooper and Grant Stevenson from Merimbula, Jim Eberbach of Wolumla, Jason Snell of Narooma, Mike Weik from Quaama and Patrick Waddell from Bermagui spent four days in rough, inaccessible country. They were assisted by Brogo fire behaviour specialist Dave Philps.
The team was split into two and deployed to a staging area at Mole Creek with Peter Reynolds and Nicole Cooper each leading a crew.
Ms Cooper said her team was sent to Union Creek fire.
“We were tasked to cut a hand line into an area that was inaccessible by bulldozer,” Ms Cooper said.
“While we worked helicopters bucketed active fire nearby to ensure our safety.
“It was difficult and hard work especially for our chain saw operators. We achieved our objective and the fire was held.
“Later the line we had cut was used to get a bulldozer in to further consolidate our containment line,” she said.
The entire team was then deployed to the 24,500ha McKenzie Lake fire, in remote wilderness.
“We were tasked to cut hand lines in an attempt to contain the fire in conjunction with air attack. The terrain was very steep and once again our chain saw operators came to the fore,” Ms Cooper said.
The next day the team expected to be winched in for fuel reduction work, but a fly over of the area showed the situation to be too dangerous. Fierce fires at the previous location meant that it had breached containment lines. It continues to travel in a westerly direction into the Cradle Mountain world heritage area.
Just two days after flying back into Merimbula, firefighters Reynolds, Eberbach, Snell, Stevenson and Waddell returned for another week.
Bega fire mitigation officer Garry Cooper has also flown to Tasmania for a two-week stint as a liaison officer for the remote area crews.
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